UK Faces Growing Youth Unemployment Crisis as Over 500,000 Have Never Worked

Keir Starmer warns of a 'wasted generation' as nearly one million young people are neither working nor studying, with sickness and systemic barriers driving inactivity.

• Nearly one million young people aged 16-24 in the UK are classified as Neet (not in education, employment, or training), with 58% of them having never held a job.
• Long-term illness is a significant factor, with 27% of Neets citing sickness as the primary reason for economic inactivity, a rate that has doubled in the past decade.
• Youth unemployment currently stands at 14.5%, significantly higher than the overall UK unemployment rate of 4.5%.
• Liz Kendall's proposed 'youth guarantee' aims to mandate work or training opportunities for those aged 18-21, with potential penalties for non-compliance.
• Keir Starmer and experts emphasize the urgent need for systemic reforms, including expanded mental health support, vocational pathways, and targeted measures to address gender disparities and declining youth services.

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