Sharp Rise in Young Britons Citing Ill Health as Reason for Joblessness
A new analysis has uncovered a sharp rise in the number of jobless young people in the UK who attribute their unemployment to health problems. According to a charity thinktank, the share of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment, or training (Neets) reporting a work-limiting condition has surged by 70% over the past decade.
Growing Health Barriers Among Youth
The Health Foundation, which conducted the research, warns that this trend could place the younger generation at even greater risk of harm to their future opportunities. The thinktank emphasized that the changing health landscape means yesterday's solutions might not be sufficient for today's young people.
Between 2015 and 2025, the proportion of Neets who reported conditions preventing them from working increased from 26% to 44%. Last year, more than two-thirds of these individuals cited mental health issues and autism as primary barriers.
Government Response and New Initiatives
These findings come as the government announces a comprehensive youth employment drive and an overhaul of apprenticeships. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is rolling out several key initiatives, including:
- A youth jobs grant offering UK businesses £3,000 for each young person aged 18 to 24 they hire who has been on universal credit and job-seeking for six months.
- An apprenticeship incentive providing £2,000 for every new employee aged 16 to 24 taken on by small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden highlighted in a speech that a person under 25 on universal credit is less likely to secure employment than someone over 55 on the same benefit. He stated, "Today the biggest issues facing the system are the challenges of youth unemployment and the growing number of people on long-term sickness and disability benefits."
Broader Health Trends and Financial Implications
The Health Foundation noted that health problems are not exclusive to Neets. Over the past ten years, the share of all 16- to 24-year-olds reporting ill health as a barrier to work increased from 9% to 16%, a rise of 78%.
Sam Atwell, a policy and research manager at the Health Foundation, commented, "There's been a lot of attention on the growing number of young people who are neither learning nor earning. But our analysis shows the problem runs deeper. More Neet young people are reporting health problems, potentially putting this generation at even greater risk of harm to their future opportunities."
Additional Government Measures and Investment
Other changes announced by McFadden include expanding the jobs guarantee to cover ages 18 to 24, up from 18 to 21, and further overhauls to the growth and skills levy to prioritize young apprentices. These measures are supported by an additional £1 billion, bringing total investment in the youth guarantee and growth and skills levy to £2.5 billion over the next three years.
A government spokesperson affirmed, "We are committed to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to earn or learn. For those young people being held back by health conditions, we are also investing £3.5 billion by the end of the decade to help them back into the workplace."
According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of Neets aged 16 to 24 was 957,000 in the three months from October to December, up from 946,000 in the previous quarter, underscoring the urgency of these interventions.
