Responding to the latest NEET data released by ONS on 23 May 2025

Date:

23 05 2025

Authors:

Stephen Evans

Tagged by:

Young people Employment & social security

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Responding to the latest ONS figures on young people who are NEET (not in education, employment or training), Stephen Evans, chief executive at Learning and Work Institute, said:
Over 900,000 young people are not in education, employment or training. While that seems to have stabilised in the last year, it’s up more than one fifth since the pandemic. Our research shows 58% of NEETs have never had a paid job and one half have been NEET for a year or more. Being out of work and education when young can have damaging effects on your career prospects so we need urgent action to implement a Youth Guarantee of education and employment opportunities for all young people.
These numbers also mask substantial inequalities within construction. Women account for only 10 per cent of starts in construction apprenticeships so far this year, compared to 51 per cent of apprenticeships overall. In addition, this year only 9 per cent of construction starts are by individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds, with particularly big disparities for apprentices from black or Asian backgrounds. The following years therefore present a unique opportunity to not only further boost apprenticeship numbers in the construction sector, but to expand their reach to wider groups. The new Government should work with employers and providers to seize this.

Read our latest report on young people not in education, employment or training

This report finds that three in five young people who are neither learning nor working have never had a paid job and looks at the differences in opportunity between different areas of England.
Find out more

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