Although the number of people in employment has reached a record high of 29.78m, youth unemployment has increased by 15,000 in the last quarter, say LG news
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of people in employment rose by 300,000 last year, with the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance falling for the ninth month in a row.
However, over 21% of 16-24 year-olds are now unemployed. Analysis from think tank IPPR also warns that half 16-24 year-olds not in work of full-time education have never had a job before.
Spencer Thompson, economist analyst at IPPR, said: ‘While on the whole unemployment appears to be neither improving nor getting worse, unemployment among 16-24 year-olds has increased by 15,000 in the latest quarter, with 973,000, or 21.4%, out of work.
‘The danger is that when the economy really starts to get moving again, the young will miss out. This will have profound economic and social costs in the future.’
The analysis also shows that the recession is not entirely to blame for this problem, as since 1998 the number of young people who have never had a job has almost doubled to 640,000.