LONDON: The number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) has increased by tens of thousands compared to a year ago, figures show.
The total of so-called Neets among 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK was estimated to be 900,000 in January to March, up from 812,000 in the same period last year, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The percentage of all young people who were Neet in January to March was estimated at 12.6 per cent, up 1.1 percentage points on a year ago. The increase in the number of young people who were Neet was driven by young men, with an increase of 99,000 on the year to 506,000. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Being unemployed at the start of your career has a lifelong impact and hits your earnings for the rest of your life. “The UK must never allow mass youth unemployment to take hold and blight lives.
“We need real help now to get young people the chance to develop their skills and build their experience of paid work, and we need action to end the reliance on insecure, precarious work that particularly affects young workers – every job should be a good job. “The General Election is a vital chance to reset our labour market.”