What are NEETs?
NEET is a demographic term which stands for not in education, employment or training. The term is typically used for young people aged 16-24 years old who are not in work and also not receiving any education or vocational training. There are different types of NEETs, including those who are unemployed (looking for work) and those who are economically inactive (not actively seeking work). In July - September 2025, 39% of the young people who were NEET were unemployed and the remaining 61% were economically inactive.
In the UK, there are currently around 946,000 young people who are not in education, employment or training. The reasons for NEETs can vary, but they can include long-term sickness, while the risk of being NEET is also over double for young people that come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have low qualifications. Data published by the UK Government indicates that the number of young people receiving health-related benefits has increased substantially, and over a quarter of NEET young people cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier to participation in education, employment or training.
High numbers of NEETs can cause a variety of challenges, both for those individuals affected and wider society. Young people who are not in education, employment or training can experience negative impacts on their physical and mental health, while studies have also shown an increased likelihood of unemployment, low wages and/or low quality of life later in life. In wider society, high number of NEETs can result in workforce challenges and limits to the potential growth of businesses and local economies.
What is the new investigation and what will it explore?
In November, the Government announced a new independent investigation designed to tackle rising levels of youth inactivity. The investigation, which is being led by former health secretary Alan Milburn aims to explore the reasons behind rising numbers of NEETs, with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, approximately 1 in 8 young people are currently not in education, employment or training, while research has shown significant rises in many of the barriers to participation. The number of young people claiming Universal Credit Health and Employment Support Allowance has increased by more than double in the last five years, while other research for the Keep Britain Working Review found an increase of 76% since 2019 in the number of 16-34 year olds who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness and who have a mental health condition.
Now in December, the independent investigation has formally launched, with Alan Milburn calling for a ‘movement’ to galvanise communities in all parts of the country. The launch of the investigation has included the naming of its panel – including health, business and policy experts – and the launch of a call for evidence from the public. The Call for Evidence provides an opportunity for young people and stakeholders to shape the investigation’s report which is set to come up with recommendations to tackle inactivity. In addition to the Call for Evidence, the review is expected to engage with stakeholders through a series of roundtables.
What initiatives are currently supporting young people?
A range of Government policies are currently focused on supporting young people including those not in education, employment or training.
The Youth Guarantee is a flagship plan to support young people in England through local trailblazers and national partnerships to help young people develop skills and find employment. A recently announced £820 million funding package is set to support the policy through 350,000 new training or workplace opportunities.
The Government has also announced a £725 million package of reforms for the apprenticeship system which is designed to tackle youth unemployment and drive economic growth. The funding will support mayors to connect NEETS to apprenticeship opportunities with local employers, while there will also be reforms to support the flexibility of training courses. NEETs are also referenced in the Government’s new Youth Strategy: Youth Matters, which aims to enable young people to have an education that helps them get a good job.
Policies supporting NEETs are a key part of the Government’s wider plans set out in the Get Britain Working White paper designed to tackle economic inactivity at all ages.
What can local places do to support?
The new investigation into NEETs is currently engaging young people and stakeholders across the country, and the Call for Evidence closes on 30 January 2026. The investigation is expected to report on some of the key causes of youth inactivity and make recommendations for next steps in due course, however, there are also already a number of support programmes running in local places.
Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Areas are currently piloting intensive support programmes, including through providing access to work experience opportunities, offering careers advice, skills development and mental health support. For example, in the West Midlands the trailblazer has been designed with local authorities to support young people particularly at risk of becoming NEET.
More widely, local areas across the country are developing their local plans as part of the Great Britain Working agenda. For many areas, this includes researching local levels and reasons for economic inactivity. Developing an evidence base in local areas is vital for ensuring that interventions to support young people and economically inactive residents of all ages are grounded in real-life experiences and reflect a shared understanding of the specific challenges in local communities. Embedding lived experience through ensuring that young people and representative organisations are actively involved in shaping the development of policies and interventions is key to success.
At GC Insight, we work closely with local communities and stakeholder organisations to support skills and workforce development, including those who face barriers to accessing education and the labour market. Our team are actively involved in developing robust evidence bases, conducting consultations and developing plans to support the tackling of economic inactivity in local places to drive positive outcomes for people and local economies – for example, we have recently been supporting the Get South Midlands Working Plan and economic inactivity studies in Cumbria. Interested to know more about our work? Get in touch with Lauren Newby, Director or Pam Reid, Director.
