TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Every young person deserves a decent start to their working life but under the Tories, more and more young people became stuck out of work or training, which comes with huge consequences for future opportunities.
Russell Hobby, chief executive of Teach First, said the figures were “shocking”, adding: “With young people from disadvantaged background hardest hit, today’s unjust figures should ring alarm bells across the country.
Stephen Evans, chief executive at the Learning and Work Institute, said: “Today’s worrying rise may signal further trouble ahead in the absence of economic growth, and highlights the importance of implementing a youth guarantee so all young people are offered a job, training place or apprenticeship.”.
An estimated 14.4 per cent (542,000) of young men and 12.3 per cent (445,000) of young women were Neet from October to December 2024.
Nearly one million young people are not in education, employment or training (Neet) – the highest level in more than a decade, figures show.
