Recent statistics reveal that the number of young individuals in the UK, aged 16 to 24, who are neither in employment nor in education, has risen to 957,000, which constitutes 12.8% of this demographic. This increase from the 946,000 recorded in the previous quarter indicates a troubling trend where expectations for each generation to achieve better outcomes may be faltering. This data comes from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and signals critical societal concerns regarding youth unemployment.

Particularly notable is the rise among young women, whose numbers increased by 13,000 to 448,000 classified as NEET (not in education, employment, or training), while the figure for young men decreased by 2,000, totaling 510,000. The growing NEET population not only reflects ongoing challenges in the job market, particularly for youth, but also highlights an alarming trend, as unemployment rates in this group are now exceeding the EU average. These statistics raise urgent questions about future job prospects and the effectiveness of current educational and employment policies in engaging young people.

As a government adviser noted, the traditional expectation that each generation performs better than the last appears to be increasingly threatened. This worrisome rise in the NEET statistic underscores the need for policy reform and intervention strategies aimed at supporting youth engagement in both education and the job market. The implications of these figures suggest a pressing need for renewed focus on employment opportunities and perceptions of the societal value placed on education for young people in the UK.