What youth unemployment statistics tell us about young people, and what they don’t

In recent months, our insight team have been conducting research on 16- to 18-year-olds in the UK. This work has brought the wider context facing young people into focus, a reality that was cemented when seeing the youth unemployment statistics, which were released in March. 

Between October and December last year, there were 957,000 16- to 24-year-olds who were not in employment, education or training (NEET).[1] The headline figure is impactful, but NEET is a term that encompasses a range of situations, from young people actively applying for jobs, those waiting to start courses, managing caring responsibilities, or taking time out for health or personal reasons. The statistic tells us something important about scale, but very little about individual reality. It captures absence from systems rather than disengagement or lack of ambition.

The King’s Trust Youth Index 2025 research shows that one in five (22%) NEET young people say that securing a job is one of their biggest goals, and just over half (53%) of NEET young people say that the longer they are unemployed, the worse they feel about themselves.[2] These findings do not point towards a lack of motivation; in fact, the report notes that 70% of young people feel determined to achieve their goals in life.[i]

This mirrors what we have been seeing in recent research. The young people we have surveyed are ambitious for themselves, their careers and their families. However, The King’s Trust 2026 report shows that young people are navigating a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty, which is shaping how they approach their futures. More than seven in 10 teenagers and young adults in the UK say they wish they were not starting their careers in the current economic climate.[3]

This is quite striking for a generation that should be looking forward and feeling hopeful about their futures. And at the risk of you having to read the word “AI” again today, undeniably layered on top of this uncertainty is rapid technological change and the impact it is having on the job market, especially at the entry and graduate level. 

One risk here is how personally many young people may make these structural issues. Economic slowdown, automation, and shifting labour markets may be experienced as individual pressure and self-doubt. Ideally, these years should be formative in shaping confidence, expectations, and beliefs about work and fairness that can last for decades. Listening to young people speak candidly about their fears and hopes is a powerful reminder that policy decisions, education systems, and employer behaviour have real impact.

[1] Youth unemployment statistics - House of Commons Library

[2] Youth Index 2025, The King’s Trust, in partnership with TK Maxx 

[3] 50 Years of Working with Young People Report 2026, The King’s Trust.  

[i] [i] Youth Index 2025, The King’s Trust, in partnership with TK Maxx