Overview
- Office for National Statistics data for April–June 2026 recorded an estimated 981,000 16–24‑year‑olds not in education, employment or training, about one in eight people in that age group.
- The prime minister on Monday described the scale as an "economic catastrophe and a moral failure" and pledged guaranteed upfront support and a programme of sector 'jobs plans' to create pathways into work.
- Alan Milburn, author of the independent review into youth unemployment, has urged redistributing welfare spending into employment support and is expected to publish formal recommendations after the Budget on 28 October.
- City A.M. reports that HM Treasury is drawing up Budget measures to lower the cost of hiring under‑25s, a proposal that sources say could appear in the chancellor's 28 October statement and would aim to prompt more hiring by firms.
- Press Association analysis of DWP data shows a rise in Personal Independence Payment claimants with anxiety disorders, including 7,403 people aged 16–24, a trend that campaigners and advisers say requires joined‑up mental‑health, benefits and employment support so young people can access work without losing necessary care.