At mid-year, ½ m young Brits aged 18-24 were ‘Not in Employment, Training or Education’ (NEET), nor were they looking for a job
So what on earth were they doing?
Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024
This problem has jumped by 18% in just one year – what is going on?
In April to June 2024, there were an estimated 503,000 economically inactive young people aged 18 to 24 years who were ‘Not in Employment, Education, or Training’ (NEET). This figure is up by 76,000 on the same three months a year ago. That’s an increase of 17.9% in just 12 months.
In this report, based on the official figures released on Thursday last week, Facts4EU.Org questions what these half-a-million young Britons are doing all day, and why their numbers are growing.
Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary
The status of the UK’s young people (18-24), June 2024
1. Overview : Young NEETs and the half a million of them who are inactive
- Over ½ m are neither employed, nor in education or training, nor unemployed
- They represent 62% of all 800,000 ‘NEETs’
- This number has risen by 18% in one year
- This represents a huge pool of unused potential talent for the UK
2. Here are the official numbers for 18-24 year-olds
- Those in Employment, Education or Training : 4,743,000 (85.5%)
- Total NEETs : 807,000 (14.5%)
- Total aged 18-24 : 5,550,000
Of the 807,000 NEETs
- Unemployed (seeking work) : 304,000 (37.7%)
- Economically inactive : 503,000 (62.3%)
[Source : Office for National Statistics, 22 Aug 2024 | Labour Force Survey, seasonally-adjusted figures.]
© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2024 - click to enlarge
How the other half (a million) live
If this group of half a million 18-24 year-olds are not working, and are not in education or training, and are not unemployed (because they’re not seeking work), then what exactly are they doing and what are they living off?
Inevitably there will be some who are able to claim disability benefit, but considering we are looking at young people, it would be hoped that most are fit and able to contribute, either by learning or working. So the question remains.
What the Government told us
Facts4EU.Org contacted both the Dept for Education (DES) and the Dept of Work and Pensions (DWP). Our contacts were as helpful as they could be and they fully accepted that the issue we have raised above is a problem, “And it’s one the Government is taking very seriously.” Both departments admitted that the NEETs problem lies between the responsibilities of each.
In answer to our main question, neither of the Departments had any information on what this group of more than half a million young people are doing. It seems a great deal now depends on putting meat on the bones of the Government’s ‘Back to Work Plan’.
Work and Pensions Secretary, the Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP, talked about this ‘Back to Work Plan’, saying :
“Economic inactivity is holding Britain back – it’s bad for people, it’s bad for businesses, and it’s bad for growth.
It’s not good enough that the UK is the only G7 country with employment not back to pre-pandemic levels.”
“It is time for change in every corner of the country. We’ll create more good jobs, make work pay, transform skills, and overhaul jobcentres, alongside action to tackle the root causes of worklessness [sic] including poor physical and mental health. Change delivered by local areas for local people, driving growth and delivering opportunity and prosperity to everyone, wherever they live.”
It’s important to define who we are talking about
1. Young people
For the purposes of recording this data, the ONS defines young people as either those aged 16-24 or those aged 18-24 years. We have used the data from the 18-24 category, because these are young adults.
2. Education and training
Persons are considered to be in education or training if they:
- Are enrolled on an education course and are still attending or waiting for term to start or restart
- Are doing an apprenticeship
- Are on a government-supported employment or training programme
- Are working or studying towards a qualification
- Have had job-related training or education in the last four weeks
3. Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET)
Anybody who is not in any of the forms of education or training listed above and who is not in employment is considered to be NEET. As a result, a person identified as NEET will always be either unemployed or economically inactive. The half million we referred to above are in the latter category. In effect they are ‘inactive NEETs’, and they represent 62% of the total.
4. Economic inactivity – the missing half million
‘Inactive NEETS’ are young people who are not in education or training and who are not in employment, but neither are they unemployed and seeking work, which is the only other major category it might be expected to find them in.
They are not classified as unemployed because they do not meet the internationally accepted definition of unemployment. To meet that definition they would have had to have been seeking work within the last four weeks and/or they are able to start work in the next two weeks.
Observations
Are we seeing a situation where half a million of our young people - who should surely be encouraged, helped and inspired - have simply fallen between the cracks of two government departments? Given the numbers involved, this must be worthy of a special investigation by one Government Dept, with solutions proposed as quickly as possible. This issue is about young people and it cannot wait.
‘The post-Covid culture’
In the private conversations our Chairman had within Government about our report, the effect of the Covid culture was mentioned several times as one possible cause of the increase in the number of inactive 18-24 year-olds. We agree that this is likely to have contributed partially to the upsurge to more than half a million.
This may yet prove to be another of the many hitherto hidden costs of the government’s Covid policies. Nevertheless there must be other reasons. Until the Government identifies the problem, it cannot cure the disease.
Looking ahead with optimism
Brexit Britain is one of the best places to live in the world. If that were not so, we would not be experiencing a mass immigration crisis. Culturally we dominate our part of the world – especially in all the creative arts including music, which is usually of interest to the younger audience. Our social scene for young people is the best in Europe. And youth unemployment is significantly lower than it is in the EU – and has been for years.
The opportunities for young people in our country are enormous – educationally, culturally, in the workplace, and in playing a part in the transformation that is coming with AI and other technologies. It is essential that the very best we have to offer to develop our young people for the world ahead is clearly presented and available to them.
If there are some who simply do not wish to participate, then they have that choice. However the majority of the population are highly unlikely to want to pick up the tab for their lifestyle choices.
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[ Sources: Office for National Statistics, 22 Aug 2024 | Labour Force Survey | Department for Education | Department for Work and Pensions ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.
Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Thurs 29 Aug 2024
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