There are 923,000 young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) in the UK, an overall decrease from the 930,000 recorded at the equivalent time last year.
An estimated 12.5% of all people aged 16 to 24 years, new Office for National Statistics figures from January to March show. This was down 0.3 percentage points compared with January to March 2024 and down 0.9 percentage points on the previous quarter.
An estimated 13.2% of young men (down 1.0 percentage points on the year) and 11.7% of young women (up 0.3 percentage points on the year) were Neet.
The figures reveal a decrease of 26,000 young men but an increase among young women of 19,000.
Young people not in work
Number of Neets approaches one million
Earlier this week, new research revealed how certain groups of young people are more at risk of being out of work or education.
The study, by the youth charity Impetus, revealed that areas with a higher risk of being Neet are in the north of England and the Midlands, with the highest rates being in the north east (15.1% of young people vs 9.4% in the south west).
The study also revealed the power of qualifications. Young people with fewer than five GCSEs were 75% more likely to be jobless and not in education than average. And if they also came from a poorer background, they were 130% more likely than the average.
Impetus said evidence showed that with tailored support, young people even from these backgrounds could succeed in work and education.
The charity cited evidence that the UK could add £69 billion to the economy if it replicated the improvements to youth unemployment achieved in the Netherlands, where the number of Neet young people was at about 5%.
The youth employability charity Resurgo, which runs Spear centres across the country, has claimed significant success by working with young people to improve their mindset and core skills.
Resurgo CEO Iona Ledwidge said: “Since we started running the Spear programme, we have worked with over 11,000 young people facing barriers to work. Of those who complete the programme, we have seen 75% move into education, employment or training and remain there a year later; evidence that we know our approach works.”
Meanwhile, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) is urging the government to build on the success of its Restart scheme, with 3,000 placements in just over three years through its partnership scheme with employment support specialist Maximus, which delivers Restart.
The Restart scheme was launched at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and is intended to help one million people find jobs through enhanced support, training courses and local partnerships. It is mandatory for Universal Credit claimants who have been out of work for at least nine months.
The REC said the number of placements so far in 2025 has been boosted by roles in warehouse, manufacturing, industrial, cleaning and construction. Recruiters in Leeds and London were proving particularly successful in making Restart placements with their clients this year, but the Restart Scheme was a nationwide success.
REC chief executive Neil Carberry said: “Recruiters have risen to the challenge of giving talent a chance despite a tough economy in recent years – and its success means we can now set our targets even higher to hit 4,000 work placements by the end of 2025.
“This scheme shows the power of employers, recruiters and government working together. And we hope this scheme or one similar to it remains as the government looks to get people off welfare and into work.”
The Restart Scheme provides additional tailored support above what is available through JobCentre Plus, supporting participants into sustainable work. Research by DWP, published in May 2024, shows the Restart Scheme supported participants to achieve positive outcomes both in terms of sustainable employment and higher life satisfaction.
Gary Spann, employer services director at Maximus, said: “Our partnership with the REC has successfully supported thousands of jobseekers to find work, and crucially matched them to roles in sectors vital to the UK’s economic growth, from construction to manufacturing.
“By bringing the recruitment and employability sectors together, we’ve been able to unlock new opportunities for people furthest from the labour market and show the value of innovative cross-sector working.”
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