UK could see 1 in 6 young people without jobs or education by 2031, warns report

Britain could be heading towards a 'lost generation' as nearly one million young people remain out of work, education or training, according to a government-commissioned review that warned the situation could worsen sharply in the coming years.

The report said the unemployment rate among people aged 16 to 24 in the UK is now at its highest level since 2014. It warned that unless urgent action is taken, the number of young people classified as “NEETs”, not in education, employment or training could rise to 1.25 million by 2031, meaning nearly one in six young people may be left outside the system.

The review was commissioned last year by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to examine the reasons behind rising youth unemployment and declining participation in training and education.

“We are at risk of a lost generation,” Alan Milburn, the former Labour cabinet minister who led the review, said ahead of the report’s presentation.

“This is not a failure of young people. It is a failure of a system stuck in the past,” he added. The report found that 84 per cent of NEETs actually want to work or receive training, but many are struggling to secure even entry-level opportunities.

According to the review, Britain has seen a sharp decline in jobs traditionally taken up by young people, including hospitality work, weekend jobs and apprenticeships. The report said many young people are unable to even reach “the first rung of the career ladder”.

“Whether it is education or health or welfare, that system fails to enable their participation in the labour market,” Milburn said.

Responding to the findings, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the report as “sobering” and said the government could not allow Britain to drift towards a “lost generation”.

“This is a real sobering report, and we cannot afford, we will not allow, a lost generation,” Starmer said while speaking at a training facility in west London, where he met apprentices.

He said the review showed that rising youth unemployment was a “complex issue” and not the result of any one single factor, adding that the government needed to do more to address the problem.

Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!