More than one million young people not in work or education, says ONS

The number of young people neither working nor learning has jumped beyond one million for the first time since 2013, official figures have revealed ahead of a review which will warn over fears of a “lost generation”.

The Office for National Statistics said the number of people aged between 16 and 24 and not in employment, education or training – so-called Neets – rose to 1.01 million in the three months from January to March.

It is the highest level since the three months to December 2013, when the figures were calculated with a different methodology.

It also represents a 55,000 increase compared with the previous quarter.

Elise Rohan, head of labour market output at the ONS, said: “The number of young people not in employment, education or training rose above one million in the first quarter of 2026, to its highest level in more than 12 years.

“This was driven by greater numbers of young people no longer looking for work.”

Later on Thursday, review author Alan Milburn is expected to say the first rung of the career ladder is “simply out of reach” for many young people, and conclude it is not this group’s fault but rather “failure of a system stuck in the past”.

Mr Milburn, who is leading the review of the Neets crisis for the Government, will publish his interim report on Thursday.