New figures revealing an increase in the number of young people not in education, a job or training show that their future is being “eroded”, it has been warned.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that 13.2% of all people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training (Neet) in July to September 2024, up on the previous quarter and on the same time last year.
An estimated 15.1% of young men and 11.2% of young women were said to be Neet, giving a total of 946,000.
The TUC said the number had increased by 9% over the past year.
General secretary Paul Nowak said: “Every young person needs a good start to their working life, to set them on a path of opportunity and security, but what we are seeing today is that young people are paying the price of the Tories’ toxic economic legacy.
“Extended periods of unemployment can severely affect the long-term career prospects and financial stability of young people.
“Young people up and down the country are facing the same cost-of-living crisis as everybody else. So long periods without earning have the very real potential to push more into poverty.
“We welcome Labour’s youth guarantee commitment. It is vital that these plans offer young people good quality training and access to decent, paid work.”
Russell Hobby, chief executive of charity Teach First, said: “With 13.2% of young people not in education, employment or training, we’re witnessing the erosion of their futures before our eyes.
“We know that the proportion of these young people from disadvantaged backgrounds remains unacceptably high, as unequal opportunities early on shut the door on future careers.”
Dr Andrea Barry, principal economist at the Youth Futures Foundation, said: “The ongoing unemployment crisis has left hundreds of thousands of young people experiencing the scarring effects of being left out of opportunities to earn or learn at a young age, damaging their future prospects.”
Stephen Evans, chief executive at the Learning and Work Institute, said: “The number of young people not in education, employment or training is estimated to be at its highest level in a decade. The number of Neets has risen by 150,000 since the pandemic, a 20% rise.”
