David Vance SubstackRead More
Labour makes a song and dance about its deep interest in helping young people but the truth is that it’s betraying a generation of them!
New official figures have revealed that UK youth unemployment problem has worsened dramatically, with key indicators now exceeding rates in Greece and Spain, countries long associated with high youth joblessness. This is a really serious development for our young people and deserves our attention.
The ONS data shows us that the proportion of young people aged 16-24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) has reached peak levels. According to them, 957,000 young people aged 16-24 were classified as NEET in October to December 2025 — equivalent to 12.8% of that age group. This represents an increase of 11,000 on the previous quarter and marks the highest level since 2005. That’s a decades long high!
The figure includes both unemployed and economically inactive young people. Youth unemployment rate (those actively seeking work) stood at 15.8% in February 2026. Breakdowns show 13.3% of young men and 12.2% of young women were NEET. For the 18-24 age group, the NEET rate reached 15.2%. Please remember that behind these stats lie individual young lives all going nowhere fast.
There are numerous reasons given for this surge. Mental health issues, post-pandemic effects, long NHS waiting lists, economic uncertainty and skills mismatches are all cited as major drivers. And of course these figures come at a delicate time for the Labour administration. It faces elections next week and you have to wonder how the 18-24 vote will hold up given that so many are out of work.
Remarkable, youth unemployment here in the UK has now edged above comparable rates in Greece and Spain in recent data releases, reversing historical trends where Britain always outperformed southern European nations. For as along as I can remember, Spain and Greece had horrendous long term youth unemployment but now we beat them. Shocker.
Economic analysts describe the situation as “alarming” given the UK’s traditionally stronger labour market. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Labour of failing an entire generation, linking the rise to higher taxes, increased regulation and insufficient vocational training. Reform UK pointed to net migration pressures on entry-level jobs. They are both right. In every way, Labour is betraying our young people whilst gaslighting them with minimum wage increases. If you haven’t a job, you cannot enjoy a wage increase!
