NEETs | Youth jobs crisis risks becoming 'perfect storm' for UK employers, warns Milburn review

The UK risks a “lost generation” of young workers unless employers, Government and health systems work together to tackle growing barriers to work, according to a major independent review into youth economic inactivity published today.

The interim review, led by former Cabinet minister Alan Milburn, warns that almost one million young people aged 16 to 24 are now not in education, employment or training (NEET), with the UK becoming an outlier among comparable economies.

For employers already grappling with skills shortages and labour market pressures, the report suggests the consequences could become increasingly difficult to ignore.

At the end of 2025, 957,000 young people were classified as NEET, equivalent to roughly one in eight young people across the UK. The report warns the figure could rise to more than 1.25 million within five years if current trends continue.