Youth unemployment crisis persists despite £2.5bn government package
Nearly one million 16-24 year olds are not in work or education, as the government's £2.5bn plan and a major review aim to tackle the crisis.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
New figures show that 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training, a figure that represents about one in eight of that age group. The number is down by 30,000 on the previous quarter but remains 30,000 higher than a year ago, and the government has acknowledged that the problem is not going away.
The government has announced a £2.5 billion package designed to create almost a million opportunities to earn or learn for young people. Measures include hiring incentives of £3,000 for employers who take on a young person who has been out of work for six months, and a jobs guarantee that will fully fund six-month placements for all 18 to 24 year olds who have been unemployed long-term. Ministers say the hiring incentive could help up to 60,000 young people over the coming years.
A major review of youth unemployment, led by former Labour minister Alan Milburn, is due to report within weeks. Milburn has been examining the scale of the challenge and possible solutions, and has been joined by former England football manager Gareth Southgate. The pair recently visited the Netherlands, where the rate of young people not in work or education is 4.8%, compared with 13.6% in the UK, despite similar overall unemployment rates.
The Dutch approach includes early streaming of pupils into technical or academic routes from age 12, and mandatory engagement with employment support for under-27s who claim benefits. Milburn said the Netherlands has "a mindset about the primacy of work and the idea that work beats welfare every single time." Southgate suggested that some UK policies may discourage employers from taking risks on young people, noting that "if you can employ an older person for the same money, it sometimes dissuades people from taking a risk on youngsters."
Employers have told researchers that many young people lack soft skills or work readiness, with 42% naming this as a barrier. Only 10% were worried about resilience, and 9% mentioned a lack of work experience. Technology is also stripping out some entry-level roles, and there are concerns that artificial intelligence will accelerate this trend.
Among the NEET group, the majority are men, and while 40% are unemployed, nearly 60% are classed as economically inactive, meaning they are not currently looking for work. Some young people have applied for hundreds of jobs without success, and many say they feel let down by the education system. Charities and training projects are trying to engage young people through sport and practical skills, but critics warn that short-term placements may not lead to sustained employment.
The government insists the UK labour market is robust, with employment levels among the highest in the G7, but acknowledges a long-term challenge for young people. The review is expected to set out further recommendations, and ministers have said they are stepping up with a plan to address the issue.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 4 or more of 5 channels | |||||
| The number of young people not in work, education, or training has increased compared with the same period last year. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | ||
| Reported by a few · 2–3 channels | |||||
| The government is investing £2.5 billion to create almost a million opportunities to earn or learn. | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| A government scheme gives cash to employers to recruit young people for up to six months, targeting those stuck on benefits. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | |
| Nearly half of 24 year olds have never had a job. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| One in eight young people aged 16-24 are not in work or education. | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | ||
| Only on one channel | |||||
| 42% of employers named a lack of soft skills or work readiness as a challenge. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Andy Burnham wants good jobs in every community across the UK. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Broadcasters reported that Alan Milburn is conducting a government review and described the issue as a structural problem. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV |
| Broadcasters reported that Gareth Southgate believes some government policies discourage employers from taking on young people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
| Broadcasters reported that in the Netherlands, young people with no work history have benefits restricted unless they engage with employment support. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
| In the Netherlands, young people are streamed into technical or academic paths from age 12, with support workers re-engaging dropouts before age 23. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
| Insecure and low paid employment is a major factor affecting young people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| Nearly 60% of the NEET group were described as economically inactive and not seeking work. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | |
| Nearly one million young people in Britain are not in education, employment or training. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The problem of insecure low paid employment is structural and has been developing for a decade or more. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| UK and Netherlands overall unemployment rates are 4.9% and 4% respectively. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
| UK under-25 NEET rate is 13.6%, compared to 4.8% in the Netherlands. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel gave a very brief mention of the story, focusing on the government's £2.5bn investment and the one in eight figure. It did not provide analysis or additional context, and moved on quickly to other news.
- “The government says it's investing £2.5 billion to help create almost a million opportunities to earn or learn for young people.”
This channel provided a detailed report on the scale of the crisis, including the figure of 980,000 NEETs and the fact that nearly half of 24-year-olds have never had a job. It highlighted the government's new scheme targeting those on benefits and the upcoming review, with a focus on employer concerns about soft skills.
- “More than 980 thousand young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education work or training according to new figures”
- “It means nearly half of 24 year olds have never had a job”
- “42% named a lack of soft skills or work readiness”
Channel 4 focused on the human stories behind the statistics, featuring young people in Liverpool and a charity using sport to engage NEETs. It also provided clear data on the quarterly and yearly changes, and detailed the government's hiring incentives and jobs guarantee, including a critical perspective on the sustainability of placements.
- “There are 981,000 16 to 24 year olds who aren't in employment, education or training. That's down 30,000 on the previous quarter, but it's still 30,000 higher than a year ago.”
- “The government isn't treating today's fall in the overall numbers as a sign the problem is going away.”
- “I think the jobs guarantee is a positive step forward. These are tending to be quite short-term placements and they're potentially within sectors that have been offering insecure roles for young people.”
This was a panel discussion rather than a news report, focusing on the causes of the NEET crisis, including university no longer guaranteeing jobs, AI, insecure employment, and the education system. It also featured a viral social media personality and debated whether young people are unfairly blamed.
- “Britain has nearly 1 million young people not in education, employment or training.”
- “I think there's some of that, which is absolutely ridiculous because there's a myriad of different reasons as to why we're seeing this this neat crisis now.”
- “That epidemic of insecure employment.”
ITV focused on the international comparison with the Netherlands, highlighting the much lower NEET rate there and the policies that might explain it. It featured Alan Milburn and Gareth Southgate's visit to The Hague, and emphasised the Dutch approach to benefits and early career guidance.
- “In the UK, 13.6% of under-25s are NEETs. That's compared with just 4.8% in the Netherlands.”
- “The rate of young people not earning or learning here is almost three times less than it is in Britain.”
- “They've got a mindset here about the primacy of work and the idea that work beats welfare every single time.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.