Number of young Brits not in education or work falls, new Neet figures show

Thank you for registering.

Key points

• After 2011 the number began to fall, returning to pre-recession levels by 2014 and reaching 750, 000 in October-December 2019.
• It had reached around one in eight (12.9 per cent) by January-March 2024 and stood at almost one in seven (13.5 per cent) in January-March 2026.
• This peak came in the aftermath of the 2008-09 financial crash and recession.
• The number of young individuals not in education, employment or training has fallen by 30, 000, new figures have shown.
• The Institute For Public Policy Research remarked the figures confirm that "too many young people are still struggling to get a first foothold in work".

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in. Swipe for next article.

Meanwhile, the number of young individuals not in education, employment or training has fallen by 30, 000, new figures have shown.

In practice, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data demonstrates that the proportion of all young residents in the UK who were Neet in April to June 2026 was 13.0 per cent – 0.5 per cent less than from January to March 2026.

Though the figures have fallen from more than a million earlier this year, 981, 000 young individuals remain out of education, employment or training, and the figures are still 30, 000 higher than a year ago.

For context, the Institute For Public Policy Research remarked the figures confirm that "too many young people are still struggling to get a first foothold in work".

For context, the administration is under significant pressure to solve the country's growing Neet crisis. It refers to the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment, or training.

Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden remarked the administration is "determined to turn the tide on the youth unemployment crisis". It he noted has been "years in the making".

"These latest figures underline why we are addressing youth inactivity as a priority, " he remarked.

"The Jobs Guarantee is already supporting those most in need with the first young individuals to be backed by the scheme now in work, and our wider £2.5 billion investment will support create almost a million opportunities to earn or learn. Further reform will follow the Milburn Review. It will report shortly."

Notably, the new figures come ahead of projected recommendations for fundamental reform in former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn's final report into young residents and work. It is due to be published in the autumn.

In May, his review discovered the youth unemployment crisis is costing Britain £125bn a year. It is more than the country spends on education and almost double the defence budget.

Mr Milburn cautioned that without urgent action, the number of young residents who are Neet will rise by 2031 from one in eight to one in six, affecting 1.25 million young individuals.

Launching his interim report, Mr Milburn remarked the characterisation of young residents as not trying is "a myth", adding: "The story of not trying, being soft, being a snowflake generation – I just don't buy it."

Instead, he remarked, the problem is that the system is "no longer working": "The problem is that for too many young people, opportunities are not growing – they're shrinking."

"The answer isn't simply to tell young people to try harder, " Henry Parkes, principal economist at IPPR, remarked.

Where you live can create a enormous difference to your chances, and in too plenty of parts of the country there simply aren't enough suitable first jobs to go around.

The Milburn Review should match backing with opportunity: creating thousands of paid first jobs where they are needed most, opening up more apprenticeships and giving young residents proper, personalised backing.

"Every young person should have a clear route into work and adulthood, wherever they grow up."

Meanwhile, the administration has previously stated it wants to see "the potential of young people up and down this country fully realised, whether that be through education, training or work" and cited a £2.5 billion youth employment backing package which includes a new apprenticeship bursary for families on universal credit.

Days into his premiership, Andy Burnham confirmed a major shake-up to England's education system in a bid to tackle youth unemployment and continue the government's devolution drive.

Notably, the new prime minister remarked he would tell schools nationwide to adapt their curriculum to fit the needs of local business through new "prestigious" technical education routes.

ONS data for Neets begins in 2001 and demonstrates the total peaked at 1.25 million in July-September 2011, or around one in six (16.9 per cent) of all 16-24 year-olds.

When the number of Neets fluctuated around 700, 000 to 800, 000 and indicated no clear trend up or down, this decline came to a halt in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Notably, the figure then began to climb steadily in early 2022, coinciding with the end of the pandemic and the start of the cost-of-living crisis and a sharp rise in inflation.

It had reached around one in eight (12.9 per cent) by January-March 2024 and stood at almost one in seven (13.5 per cent) in January-March 2026. More follows on this breaking news story.

In short, number of young Brits not in education or work falls, new Neet is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.