Slight fall in number of young people not in work, education or training

The number of young people not in employment, education or training has fallen slightly but remains close to a million, figures show.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of so-called Neets aged 16 to 24 in July to September was estimated to be 946,000, down from 948,000 in April to June.

The proportion of young people who are Neet has been rising since 2021, and the current level is the highest since 2014.

A total of 39% of the young people who were Neet in April to June 2025 were unemployed.

The remaining 61% were economically inactive, which means they were not working, not seeking work and/or not available to start work.

Historically more women than men have been Neet, but in recent years there have generally been more men who are Neet.

James Toop, chief executive of Teach First, said of the figures: “It means futures grinding to a halt, with young people from low-income communities hardest hit, not because of a lack of talent but a lack of opportunity.

“With one of the most anticipated Budgets in years just a week away, the Government has a real chance to turn this around.

“There can be no growth without supporting the next generation: helping young people stay in education, achieve and move into meaningful careers.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The number of young people in our country who are not in education, employment or training is far too high, and that’s why we’re taking action on school attendance, because we know that if children drop out of school and aren’t there regularly, that does then feed through into the numbers of children, longer-term, who aren’t an employment or training.

“We’ve launched our youth guarantee to support young people back into work and, alongside that, the changes we’re making to the curriculum system and also new apprenticeship routes, we’re providing people with more opportunities to be in work, to learn and to make a contribution.

“But this is a really big challenge that we’ve inherited, and we’re determined to grasp it.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “These figures are a stark reminder of the toxic Tory legacy this government inherited.

“Under the Conservatives, young people were badly let down, with hundreds of thousands of young people stuck out of work, education or training.

“This has damaging consequences for young people’s prospects – and for the country as a whole too.

“With the youth guarantee, stronger employment rights, an industrial strategy and apprenticeship reforms, the Government has made a positive start in turning this around.”