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Responding to the labour market stats release by ONS on 15 September 2026, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive at Learning and Work Institute, said:
“Headline stability in the job stats masks two underlying and related challenges. The first is that one million young people are not in education, employment or training, risking long-term harm to their career prospects. Ramping up efforts to change that can’t wait. The second is the stalling of job growth in parts of the private sectors like retail and hospitality, down 150,000 payroll jobs since last year. This limits first job opportunities for young people and reflects underlying economic weakness that ongoing international uncertainty won’t help. The employment rate is relatively high by international standards, but risks trending in the wrong direction with 3.9 million people not in work but saying they want a job.”
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