STORY
An estimated 981,000 people aged between 16 and 24 were not in education, employment or training in the UK between April and June 2026. The Office for National Statistics said the total had increased by 30,000 compared with the same period in 2025, although it was 30,000 lower than during the first three months of 2026.
Young people classified as not in education, employment or training represented 13% of the relevant age group, up by 0.2 percentage points over the year. Of the total, approximately 393,000 were unemployed and actively seeking work, while 588,000 were economically inactive. The ONS advised caution when interpreting short term changes because the estimates come from the Labour Force Survey and can be affected by sampling variability.
The British Chambers of Commerce described the figures as a reminder of the scale of the challenge facing the UK. It welcomed the Government’s Jobs Guarantee but argued that higher employer National Insurance contributions, increases in the National Living Wage and the Employment Rights Act had made recruiting young people more difficult. The organisation called for the forthcoming report led by Alan Milburn to recognise both the contribution businesses could make and the financial pressures facing employers.