{"id":121019,"date":"2026-06-05T11:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=121019"},"modified":"2026-06-05T11:25:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:25:45","slug":"britain-faces-a-work-crisis-neets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/britain-faces-a-work-crisis-neets\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain Faces a Work Crisis as Neets Risk Becoming a Lost Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than one million young people are now outside work, education or training, with a government-backed review warning the figure could rise sharply within five years. Britain is facing a growing crisis among 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training, commonly known as Neets<\/strong>. According to official figures published on Thursday, more than one million young people now fall into that category, the highest level recorded in over a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interim review led by former Labour minister Alan Milburn<\/a> warned the situation risks becoming entrenched, with many young people detached from the labour market for long periods. According to the report, the annual economic cost of the crisis has reached an estimated \u00a3125bn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings come amid wider concerns about declining entry-level opportunities, falling apprenticeship numbers and rising levels of economic inactivity among younger people. Milburn said Britain now faces \u201ca genuine generational faultline<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising Economic Inactivity Leaves More Young People Detached from Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, 1,012,000<\/strong> people aged between 16 and 24 were classified as Neet between January and March 2026, representing 13.5% of that age group. Around 613,000 were considered economically inactive, meaning they were neither working nor actively seeking employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the launch of the review, Milburn said the nature of the crisis had shifted over the past two decades. \u201cDetachment is no longer temporary for too many young people, it is becoming permanent<\/em>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report found that nearly six in ten young people<\/strong> currently classified as Neet have never had a job. Twenty years ago, that figure was closer to four in ten. Milburn argued the issue was no longer simply youth unemployment, but a deeper withdrawal from the labour market itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the BBC, the report estimated that if current trends continue, one in six young people could be outside work, education or training by 2031. Milburn warned that Britain was \u201cat risk of a lost generation<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The review also linked the rise in inactivity to broader structural issues, including worsening mental health, reduced social confidence after the Covid pandemic and declining access to first jobs. One participant quoted in the report described how lockdowns affected social development, saying many young people \u201cdidn\u2019t get used to the social aspect of connecting with people<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Today, the UK has hit a disastrous milestone of having over a million young people out of employment, education or training.

Now only one EU country (Romania) has a higher NEET rate than the UK.

More in our recent research highlighting four key drivers of the UK\u2019s high NEETs\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/z26SKRmuWD<\/a><\/p>— Resolution Foundation (@resfoundation) May 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>