The Rest Is Money 271. Youth unemployment - a national emergency?
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Apr 19, 2026 
Alan Milburn, former UK health secretary and social mobility chair now leading a review into youth NEETs. He outlines who the one million young people are and where they live. They explore links from early childhood to mental health and lifetime scarring. They discuss labour-market bottlenecks, reforms like wage subsidies and apprenticeships, and local taskforces and sports foundations reaching young people.
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Mental Health And Detachment Drive Modern NEETs
- The composition of NEETs has shifted: rising mental health and neurodivergence reports mean many are economically inactive rather than actively unemployed.
- 61% are not looking for work and the number claiming health/disability benefits doubled in five years.
Missing Early Jobs Causes Lifetime Scarring
- Not getting a job by age 24 has durable scarring: 45% of 24-year-old NEETs have never had a job and may lose up to £1 million in lifetime earnings.
- Early work experience and first-job access determine long-term labour market attachment.
Applied 200 Times With No Reply
- Alan Milburn recounts a young man who applied to 200 jobs without a single response or interview.
- The example illustrates that lack of effort isn't the issue; job-seeking signals and employer processes are failing.