Increase in Youth Unemployment: A-Level Business In The News

Have a go at this teaching activity, which includes a downloadable worksheet and suggested answers.

What's the story?

New ONS data shows 987,000 young people (16-24) were not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in late 2024, representing 13.4% of this age group.

This marks an 11-year high, with numbers up from 877,000 the year before.

Young men (14.4%) are more likely to be NEET than young women (12.3%). The majority (595,000) are economically inactive rather than actively job-seeking.

Youth service providers note that many young people face complex, overlapping challenges including mental health issues, learning differences, and educational gaps.

The government has promised a "Youth Guarantee" initiative ensuring opportunities to "earn or learn”.

However, experts have called for better outreach programmes for disengaged youths and expanded apprenticeship programs to prevent long-term economic "scarring."

Increase in youth unemployment