Youth Futures Foundation · 2025
Nearly one million young people aged 16–24 in the UK are currently NEET (not in education, employment or training), with the number rising by over a third in four years and long-term youth unemployment more than doubling since 2022. The report analyses UK NEET trends by region, ethnicity and gender, identifies headwinds including rising mental ill-health and declining apprenticeship opportunities, and benchmarks the UK against OECD peers. It argues the UK could add £86 billion to the economy by matching the Netherlands' youth participation rate, and sets out an evidence-based policy agenda focused on NEET prevention, a Youth Guarantee with wage subsidies, apprenticeship reform, and integrated mental health support.