As thousands of teenagers collect their GCSE results, an estimated one million young people aged 16 to 24 are outside education, employment or training.

The scale of the crisis is now alarming policymakers, with Britain recording the second-highest rate of young people in this position in Europe. Former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn is conducting a major review, with his final report expected later this year.

A million young people are slipping through the cracks

The label “Neet” masks a more complicated reality. Research involving more than 400 young people found individuals with skills, ambitions and interests who still struggled to find a route into work or education.

The causes are disputed. Employers blame higher hiring costs, while others warn artificial intelligence could hollow out entry-level jobs. But poor health and worsening mental health are increasingly impossible to ignore.

The proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds with a long-term limiting health condition has risen 42% since 2019. Britain also has the highest rate of anxiety and depressive disorders among 15 to 24-year-olds in the OECD.

This is not simply a generation refusing to work

Researchers warn against portraying young people as idle or dependent on benefits. Around 314,000 Neets receive no benefits at all, leaving them effectively outside the system.

Psychologist Marc Mon-Williams, who leads research tracking 13,500 children in Bradford, says the evidence points to a genuine mental health crisis. Anxiety can make entering work harder, while unemployment can worsen mental health — creating a vicious cycle.

Covid pushed an existing crisis even further

The pandemic severed friendships, disrupted routines and accelerated social isolation. In Bradford, persistent school absence reportedly jumped from 3,000 children before Covid to 30,000 afterwards.

Meanwhile, housing insecurity, financial pressure, reduced youth services, social media and poor sleep are adding to the strain.

Britain needs intervention before the damage is permanent

Milburn has called for a “system reset”, while experts argue support must begin long before a teenager becomes detached from education or work.

That means stronger early-years support, better access to family services, vocational pathways and meaningful work experience.

The warning from researchers is stark: Britain cannot afford to write off a generation and then wonder why its economy, welfare system and social fabric are under pressure.

Thursday briefing: The million young people the UK is leaving behind | | The Guardian

23 minutes ago, bannork said:

The proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds with a long-term limiting health condition has risen 42% since 2019. Britain also has the highest rate of anxiety and depressive disorders among 15 to 24-year-olds in the OECD.

Which of course had absolutely nothing to do with using military grade psychological operations telling them to stay at home as they were 'non essential' and not kill granny by getting jabbed with an experimental 'safe and effectives'

This is all caused by climate change !!! 🤣