Youth unemployment in the UK

A timely report from the OECD on the long term difficulties of getting low skilled youths into regular full-time and part-time employment in the UK. Despite the favourable labour market trends of recent years, the employment prospects of youth workers leaving school and college with limited academic and vocational qualifications have actually deteriorated. In 2007, the unemployment rate of 16 to 24 year olds was 14.4% in Britain, up from 11% in 2002 and employment rates among 16 to 24 year olds fell to 55.9% in 2007 from 60.9% in 2002. Little wonder that some parts of the media have described a ‘lost generation’ many of whom remain persistently in workless households, drifting into the informal economy.

The OECD report - which urges the UK government to intervene with ‘vigorous action to help them with education and training and with job-search support’ is available here and here is a BBC report on the publication.