Rachel Reeves has branded the rising variety of younger Britons not in employment, training or coaching (NEET) a “stain on our country”.
In a hearth chat at a producing convention in London, the Chancellor voiced alarm that almost a million 18-24-year-olds are presently “sitting at home doing nothing” as a substitute of gaining precious abilities or office expertise.
Official figures present the whole variety of NEETs within the 16-24 age bracket surged to 987,000 between October and December 2024, up from 877,000 a 12 months earlier. That equates to 13.4 per cent of all younger individuals – an increase of 1.3 share factors. Reeves emphasised that it’s “crucial” to reverse this upward development, arguing that the nation can not afford to “waste the best time of their lives”.
Her feedback observe criticism from enterprise leaders, who warn the newest price range’s tax hikes might exacerbate the issue by limiting job alternatives. The Workplace for Nationwide Statistics confirmed that 14.4 per cent of younger males and 12.3 per cent of younger ladies fall into the NEET class. Of the 987,000 whole, 542,000 are males and 445,000 are ladies.
Stephen Evans, chief government of the Studying and Work Institute, stated the figures could also be an indication of “further trouble ahead in the absence of economic growth,” urging instant authorities motion to supply younger individuals a job, coaching place or apprenticeship.
Reeves, in the meantime, highlighted plans to broaden apprenticeship entry for many who didn’t obtain English or maths GCSE necessities. She concluded that turning these statistics round have to be a precedence, insisting: “It is a stain on our country that we are allowing a million people to sit at home doing often nothing.”
