NEET FIGURES FALL BELOW ONE MILLION BUT REMAIN ABOVE YEAR-AGO LEVELS

The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) fell to 981,000 between April and June this year, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This represents approximately 13% of the 16 to 24 age group. The figure declined from 1,011,000 recorded in the January to March quarter, marking a slight quarterly improvement. However, the latest data remains 30,000 higher than the equivalent period twelve months earlier, when 951,000 young people were recorded as NEET.

Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, stated that the figures demonstrate the persistence of employment challenges facing young people. He cautioned against interpreting the sub-million milestone as evidence of improvement, noting that the year-on-year increase reveals the ongoing scale of the issue. Harrison said: "Today's figures indicate there are no quick fixes to the youth employment crisis facing the UK." The three-year comparison highlights how NEET numbers have moved upward despite the recent quarterly dip.

Official data recorded the NEET rate at one in eight young people during the April to June period. The ONS figures represent the most recent quarterly snapshot of youth employment and education status in the UK. Experts have indicated that sustained policy focus remains necessary to address longer-term trends in youth employment outcomes.