(UK) 16 to 24 yos. struggling to find work

May 29, 2026, ITV: Why these young people are struggling to find work

VIDEO:

. . . Schools are not preparing enough young people for life in the workplace.

YOUNG MAN:

People like me with the autism and their neurodivergent things, people can find it a bit daunting the whole process.

Narrator:

The welfare system traps young people on benefits. . . .

The NHS deems too many unfit for work and entry-level jobs are drying up. . . .

It’s a perfect storm says Alan Milburn and it’s getting worse.

Milburn:

There aren’t many causes left in modern British politics. But this is one.

The scale an impact of this problem can no longer be ignored. We cannot throw a whole generation of young people on the scrap heap before their adult lives have properly begun.

Narrator: For the first time the number of young people not in education, employment, or training has risen above one million. That’s 13 and a half percent of all 16 to 24 year olds in UK. That rate means we’re almost bottom of the table compared with other European nations. . . .

Milburn highlights another issue. Young people today are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, and he says social media is a big part of the problem. . . .