Falling NEET Numbers Are Encouraging – But More Young People Still Need a Route Into Work

The latest figures showing a fall in the number of young people not in education, employment or training offer some encouragement, but the wider picture shows there is still significant work to do to connect more young people with opportunity.

The latest data released in August 2026 shows an estimated 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were NEET between April and June, equivalent to around 13% of the age group. The total has fallen compared with the previous quarter, taking the number back below one million, but remains higher than a year earlier.

Learning and Work Institute Deputy Director Elizabeth Gerard described the fall as welcome but warned that the number remains too high. The organisation also highlighted a particularly important change within the figures: more young people classified as NEET are unemployed and actively looking for work, rather than economically inactive.

That distinction matters because it shows that many young people are not disconnected from the idea of employment. They want to work. The challenge is ensuring that enough suitable opportunities exist and that young people can successfully connect with them.

For somebody beginning their career, finding that first opportunity can be one of the hardest stages. Employers understandably value experience, but young people cannot build workplace experience until somebody gives them the opportunity to start.

Apprenticeships, work placements, practical training and genuine entry-level positions can help bridge that gap.

The wider jobs market can make that transition even more difficult. Learning and Work Institute’s August labour-market analysis found that vacancies have continued to fall, while retail and hospitality, two sectors that have traditionally provided many young people with their first experience of employment, have experienced notable reductions in employment.

This makes employer partnerships increasingly important. Education providers, employment programmes and community organisations can help young people develop skills and confidence, but employers ultimately provide the workplaces where those abilities can turn into experience and careers.

Businesses willing to recruit for potential as well as previous experience can provide opportunities to candidates who might otherwise be overlooked. With training, mentoring and a supportive introduction to the workplace, a young person without an extensive employment history can develop into a valuable member of the workforce.

Apprenticeships can provide another important route by combining learning with practical employment. For young people who may not want to follow a purely academic pathway, vocational education and employer-led training can offer the chance to develop skills while gaining real experience.

Confidence also deserves attention. Spending months outside education or employment can make moving forward feel increasingly difficult, particularly when applications repeatedly end in rejection or receive no response.

Employability support should therefore help young people with communication, interviews, workplace expectations and recognising the transferable skills they already possess.

There is also no single reason why somebody becomes NEET. Previous Learning and Work Institute research found that 58% of NEET young people had never had a paid job, while almost half remained outside education, employment or training a year after first becoming NEET.

These figures reinforce why early support and access to first employment opportunities can be so important.

The latest fall in the headline number is therefore something to build upon. Sustainable progress will require young people to have clear routes between education, skills development, apprenticeships, employability support and employers rather than leaving them to navigate the transition alone.

At I’M MORE, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to build a future defined by potential rather than circumstance.

Supporting someone into work is not simply about changing their employment status. A first opportunity can build confidence, create independence, develop skills and introduce somebody to career possibilities they may never previously have considered.

The goal should be to ensure that fewer young people spend long periods waiting on the outside of employment and education. That requires employers, training providers, education organisations and communities to work together to create opportunities that young people can genuinely access.

Our mission is to help young people Discover, Believe and Become.

Falling NEET numbers are encouraging, but progress should ultimately be measured by how many young people are able to move towards a future with greater confidence, skills and opportunity.