'Urgent challenge' | Nearly 1 million young people still not in work or learning as NEET rates remain high

The latest ONS figures show that the number of young people in the UK who are not in education, employment or training remains stubbornly high. After several years of economic pressure, shifting labour market conditions and widening regional inequalities, progress has slowed. 

The headline trend is simple: the situation is no longer getting worse, but it is still far from improving in any meaningful way. A large share of young people continue to sit on the sidelines, disconnected from the pathways that should lead them into work or learning.