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Responding to the labour market stats release by ONS on 19 March 2026, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive at Learning and Work Institute, said:
“Worryingly, the number of young people not in employment or full-time education remains stubbornly stuck at 1.25 million. Recent announcements including hiring incentives for employers will help, but mostly miss the three in four NEETs not on unemployment-related benefits. Overall the labour market remains pretty flat, with little change in the main measures of employment and vacancies and earnings growth continuing to ease. That leaves the Government needing another two million people in work to hit its 80% employment rate ambition. With economic risks ahead there’s much more to do.”
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