Sharp Rise in Young Britons Citing Ill Health as Reason for Joblessness
A new analysis has uncovered a sharp increase in the number of jobless young people in the UK who attribute their unemployment to health problems. According to research by the Health Foundation, the share of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment, or training (Neets) reporting a work-limiting condition has surged by 70% over the past decade.
This trend is raising alarms, as it potentially puts this generation at greater risk of harm to their future opportunities. The findings come as the government announces a youth employment drive and an overhaul of apprenticeships, aiming to address the growing crisis.
Government Initiatives to Combat Youth Unemployment
In response to the rising numbers, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is rolling out several initiatives. These include a youth jobs grant, where UK businesses will receive £3,000 for hiring young people aged 18 to 24 who have been on universal credit and seeking work for six months. Additionally, small- and medium-sized enterprises will benefit from a £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for each new employee aged 16 to 24.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden highlighted the urgency of the situation in a recent speech, noting that a person under 25 on universal credit is less likely to secure employment than someone over 55 on the same benefit. He stated, "Today the biggest issues facing the system are the challenges of youth unemployment and the growing number of people on long-term sickness and disability benefits."
Health Barriers Among Young Neets
The Health Foundation's research indicates that between 2015 and 2025, the proportion of Neets reporting conditions that prevent them from working increased from 26% to 44%. Last year, more than two-thirds of these young people cited mental health issues and autism as primary barriers to employment.
Sam Atwell, a policy and research manager at the Health Foundation, emphasized, "There's been a lot of attention on the growing number of young people who are neither learning nor earning. But our analysis shows the problem runs deeper. More Neet young people are reporting health problems, potentially putting this generation at even greater risk of harm to their future opportunities."
Moreover, health problems are not confined to Neets alone. Over the past ten years, the share of all 16- to 24-year-olds reporting ill health as a barrier to work has risen from 9% to 16%, marking a 78% increase.
Broader Implications and Funding
The government's response includes expanding the jobs guarantee to cover ages 18 to 24, up from 18 to 21, and further reforms to the growth and skills levy to prioritize young apprentices. These changes are supported by an additional £1 billion in funding, bringing the total investment in youth initiatives to £2.5 billion over the next three years.
A government spokesperson affirmed, "We are committed to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to earn or learn. That's why we are providing almost £1 billion of additional investment to support young people, helping to create 200,000 jobs and taking the total to £2.5 billion. For those young people being held back by health conditions, we are also investing £3.5 billion by the end of the decade to help them back into the workplace."
The Health Foundation warned that the changing health landscape means traditional solutions may no longer suffice for today's youth, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to address this escalating issue.
