A Million Young People on the Sidelines: Why Fixing NEET Is an Economic Necessity

Nearly one million young people in the UK are currently NEET – not in education, employment or training. Too often, they are treated as a statistic, a problem to be solved later. But the 2025 Youth Voice Census results make it clear that NEET young people are not a side issue: they are at the heart of the country’s future workforce, productivity, and social cohesion.

The scale of the challenge

This year’s Census, which gathered the views of over 8,000 young people, paints a stark picture. NEET young people consistently report the lowest wellbeing, weakest support, and poorest confidence of all groups.

• Only 26% say they know what employers want, compared with nearly half of all young people.
  
• They are the least likely to access mental health, physical health, or financial support and the most likely to feel isolated.
  
• They record the lowest life satisfaction scores, with anxiety and poor health cutting them off from education and work.
  

For many, the debates dominating workplaces, from hybrid working to artificial intelligence, feel distant. Their reality is far simpler: they just need a chance to work.

Why NEET matters for the economy

The economic and social cost of inaction is enormous. Research has long shown that young people who spend extended time NEET are more likely to face unemployment, ill health, and poverty across their lifetimes. The bill for the taxpayer runs into billions in lost productivity, higher welfare costs, and increased demand for health and social services.

But this isn’t just about costs avoided, it’s about opportunities gained. Employers across every sector report skills shortages and a growing struggle to find talent. At the same time, nearly a million young people are eager but uncertain, cut adrift without clear pathways back into work. Unlocking this group could provide the pipeline of skills, energy, and creativity that the UK economy desperately needs.

A fractured system of support

What the Census shows clearly is that support works best for those already in education or work – and least for those outside it. Careers advice is patchy, work experience is rare, and health services are fragmented. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with additional needs, and minority ethnic groups face even higher barriers.

In practice, this means the young people who most need help are the least likely to receive it. The system is complex, confusing, and inconsistent, with no single point of entry or guarantee of opportunity. For NEET young people, it feels like the door is firmly shut.

Turning neutrality into opportunity

The good news is that solutions exist. The Census sets out a clear roadmap to transform the landscape for young people,  and NEET young people  in particular:

1. Close the support gap: A national digital hub, backed by local youth anchors, could provide a single front door for advice, wellbeing support, careers guidance, and progression pathways.
   
2. Secure a Young Person’s Entitlement: Guarantee every young person access to core skills, enrichment, and at least two meaningful work experiences before the age of 18.
   
3. Support employers to deliver: Simplify the system so businesses of all sizes can engage easily, with incentives for SMEs and recognition for those who invest in youth talent.
   
4. Lead a national culture shift: A Campaign of Opportunity, co-designed with young people, could help restore confidence, inspire ambition, and signal leadership’s commitment to the next generation.
   

Taking Action is an Economic Necessity

The message is clear: NEET young people are not a lost cause – they are a lost opportunity. With targeted investment and leadership, we can turn that around.

As Laura-Jane Rawlings, CEO of Youth Employment UK, puts it:

“NEET young people are telling us loud and clear: they feel invisible. They are the least supported, the most anxious, and the most unsure about what employers want. If we don’t act now, we risk writing off nearly a million young people. That would be a tragedy for them and a huge loss for our country.”

The stakes could not be higher. Every year that passes without action deepens the scars for young people and the economy alike. But every step taken now – to open doors, create pathways, and back young people with real opportunity – is an investment in a stronger, fairer, more productive future.

If we want a country that thrives, we cannot afford to leave nearly a million young people on the sidelines. Fixing NEET is not just the right thing to do. It is an economic necessity.