Headline: Nearly One Million Young People in UK Not in Work, Education or Training

Date: 27 August 2026

Tags: Employment, Economy, Young People, Education

Summary:

• An estimated 981,000 UK residents aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training between April and June.

• The figure represents approximately one in eight young people in that age group.

• Numbers have fallen from more than one million in early 2026 but remain 3% higher than a year earlier.

• The annual increase was mainly among men, with 25,000 more young men classified as Neet compared with 4,000 women.

• A government-commissioned report has warned that one in six young people could be out of work within five years without intervention.

• Factors identified include health problems, declining traditional employment routes, educational inequalities and wider social disadvantage.

• The Government’s Jobs Guarantee aims to support 90,000 young Universal Credit claimants with six months of paid employment.

• Ministers also plan 300,000 additional work-experience placements and 50,000 more youth apprenticeship starts.

• Employers can receive £3,000 incentives for hiring young people who have been unemployed for at least six months.

• Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said ministers would consider implementing recommendations from Alan Milburn’s forthcoming report.

Why this matters: Persistently high youth inactivity could affect long-term employment prospects, skills development, economic growth and government spending.

What’s next: The final Milburn report will recommend measures to reduce youth inactivity, with ministers indicating legislation could follow if necessary.