Britain risks drifting into a full-scale economic and social crisis unless it tackles soaring youth unemployment and mental ill-health, Sir Keir Starmer’s jobs tsar has warned.

Alan Milburn said a generation of young people has been left isolated, anxious and disconnected from work after growing up immersed in smartphones and social media. His intervention comes as the number of young people outside education, employment or training edges towards one million.

‘Bedroom Generation’ Raises Alarm

Milburn’s interim review, due next week, paints a bleak picture of a “bedroom generation” spending months or even years at home, much of that time online.

The former Labour health secretary warned the welfare system is now trapping young people in inactivity instead of helping them into work. He said rising levels of anxiety, depression and mental ill-health are becoming a defining economic threat as much as a public health one.

“They are not snowflakes,” Milburn said. “It is an anxious generation.”

The report argues that constant exposure to social media is damaging sleep, concentration and confidence, leaving many young people struggling to cope with workplaces or long-term commitments.

Nearly One Million Locked Out

Official figures underline the scale of the crisis. Around 957,000 people aged 16 to 24 were classified as not in education, employment or training between October and December last year.

Youth unemployment also surged sharply, with 729,000 young people unemployed in the first quarter of this year — up 110,000 on the previous year.

Milburn’s review warns many could become permanently dependent on benefits unless urgent reforms are introduced. The report describes Britain’s welfare state as “built for a different era” and no longer equipped to deal with a digitally shaped generation facing mounting mental health pressures.

Schools Accused Of Feeding ‘Quitting Culture’

Separate research feeding into the review claims schools are becoming a “Neet pipeline” (not in education, employment or training) with relentless exam pressure and limited non-university pathways leaving many disengaged before adulthood.

Researchers also warned of an emerging “quitting culture”, driven partly by social media’s obsession with instant success and online influence.

The warning lands at a politically sensitive moment for Labour as ministers attempt to boost economic growth while cutting welfare dependency. Failure to reverse the trend, Milburn argues, risks creating a generation permanently locked out of work — and an economy forced to carry the cost for decades.

UK faces ‘economic catastrophe’ from youth unemployment, warns job tsar

That's why, aham, immigration! You're not supporting them, they're supporting you. The Robinson lot are racist pigs.

29 minutes ago, bannork said:

Britain risks drifting into a full-scale economic and social crisis unless it tackles soaring youth unemployment and mental ill-health

Using military grade psychological operations to instill fear and compliance

locking down the country and telling most people that they are 'non essential'

and must stay home to 'save granny' then mandating an experimental concoction to

return to 'normal life' had more than a few unintended consequences..who would have guessed ? 🤔

Functionall impairment locked into social media

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/23/uk-young-people-workplace-anxiety-alan-milburn

It would help if there were any jobs offering training schemes and real apprenticeships.

The price of destroying industry in search of a post industrial service economy is now being paid.

There’s worse to come.

‘Trickle down economics’ has eviscerated the working class and is now eating the middle class, just as AI arrives to wipe service industry.

Edited May 23May 23 by Chomper Higgot

@Chomper Higgot

Dont worry,war with Russia will save the day by forcing

re -industrialisation, the conscripted youngsters will be whipped into model citizens ready to fend off any enemy in no time at all.

And we'll all be happy with a return to food stamps issued as digital tokens it's 2026 after all so it must be digital... remember the rallying cry

"We will own nothing and be happy"

I don't see anywhere in the OP where it claims these were white young people.

Probably about Islamic illegals in their 30s claiming to be teenagers.

57 minutes ago, johng said:

@Chomper Higgot

Dont worry,war with Russia will save the day by forcing

re -industrialisation, the conscripted youngsters will be whipped into model citizens ready to fend off any enemy in no time at all.

And we'll all be happy with a return to food stamps issued as digital tokens it's 2026 after all so it must be digital... remember the rallying cry

"We will own nothing and be happy"

LOL. "Chin up! Mustn't grumble! Worse troubles at sea!" What a miserable place. Was there recently. Anyway, they've got their footie matches to entertain them - with single players earning more than the operaring budgets of the average mid-size town. 'Ere we go, ere we go, ere we go!'

4 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

'Ere we go, ere we go, ere we go!'

Thats a song from 40 years ago

Everton sung it when they won the first division and Jimmy Hill was commentating

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Thats a song from 40 years ago

Everton sung it when they won the first division and Jimmy Hill was commentating

Yeah how so little changes.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I don't see anywhere in the OP where it claims these were white young people.

Probably about Islamic illegals in their 30s claiming to be teenagers.

Triggered immigrunting

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

LOL. "Chin up! Mustn't grumble! Worse troubles at sea!" What a miserable place. Was there recently. Anyway, they've got their footie matches to entertain them - with single players earning more than the operaring budgets of the average mid-size town. 'Ere we go, ere we go, ere we go!'

I was there recently too, I had wonderful time.

Footy season is over.

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I was there recently too, I had wonderful time.

Footy season is over.

Today is the last day of the Premier league .

But, the season never seems to end these days

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I don't see anywhere in the OP where it claims these were white young people.

Probably about Islamic illegals in their 30s claiming to be teenagers.

You just had to got there didn't you? Couldn't see an article about major issues with the youth in the UK without bringing in 'but, but Islamic illegals'. Pathetic really.

The answer (as usual) is complex and very much about socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Amazingly enough, young people from poor backgrounds have a harder time making it in the world (something that's been going on for literally decades and which isn't just confined to the UK). Because of this and because young people from Black and racially minoritised communities are disproportionately affected due to coming from these economically disadvantaged backgrounds, there may be more minorities (as a proportion) affected but again that's what happens when you're poor. And of course social media plays a disproportionate role in all of this.

What it definately isn't is 'Islamic illegals in their 30s claiming to be teenagers' - that I can gaurantee you.

15 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

Black and racially minoritised communities are disproportionately affected

There are also IQ differences to consider.

With DEI / DIE everywhere, it's now white who are disproportionately affected

More brain dead youths on smart fones ,smombees