UK Youth Unemployment Peaks as NEET Numbers Reach Record High

A government‑commissioned report led by former health minister Alan Milburn warns that one in six 16‑24‑year‑olds in Britain could be out of employment, education or training (NEET) within five years, up from one in eight now. NEET figures rose to 13.5 % – just over one million young people – in the first quarter, the highest level since late‑2013.

The report blames the welfare system for worsening inactivity and notes a sharp decline in low‑ and medium‑skilled entry‑level jobs. Six in ten NEETs have never held a job; more than 70 % lack good school grades and 44 % say poor health limits work, with mental‑health and neurodevelopmental conditions increasingly common. The cost of NEETs to the state is £3.2 billion a year, while full‑time employment could boost the economy by £38 billion and avert up to £125 billion of lost growth.

The Society of Occupational Medicine echoed the findings, saying the system is failing young people. It highlighted that 57 % of NEETs have health conditions and four in five health‑related Universal Credit claimants cite mental health or neurodevelopmental issues as a barrier to work. President Neil Greenberg called for occupational health professionals to support employers and stressed the need for a systems reset, noting current welfare spending of £25 for every £1 allocated to employment support.