Recent reports highlighted worryingly high numbers of young people (classed as aged 16-24 for official figures) who are not in education, employment, or training.
Youth unemployment was just one of the topics of discussion last month on an Advisory Board our CEO, Laura Evans, is a member of.
The role involves highlighting many of the key drivers behind particular issues as well as identifying possible solutions, which is all fed directly into government with the aim of influencing policy and, in some cases, legislation to help tackle the issues of our times.
In the case of youth unemployment, this is a trend we’ve been highlighting, along with many other organisations, for a long time now. We were dismayed that the Budget did little to address the impacts of the previous year’s employer tax and NI rises.
Youth unemployment in the UK rose to 16.1% in the final quarter of 2025, and is now higher than the EU average for the first time. This is against a backdrop of high unemployment (5.2%) across the whole of the working age population in the UK.
Perhaps of even more concern, these figures do not include those young people who are unable to seek work actively at this time due to things like long term ill health and disability.
The nature of roles being replaced at rapid pace by AI and other technologies is disproportionately affecting younger workers. For similar reasons, we’re also seeing through our work an impact on career changers and those returning from taking a break in their career in entry level roles.
All of which is a concern from an inclusion perspective if not managed sensitively.
It’s essential in any society to invest in the life chances of younger generations, providing them with good education and training to set them up for successful lives and livelihoods.
