Earlier in 2026, the number of young people in the UK not in education, employment or training passed one million for the first time on record (1,012,000 in January to March 2026). The latest ONS figure, for April to June 2026, is 981,000: down 30,000 on the quarter, but still up 30,000 on the year. It reflects a labour market under real pressure. If you are one of those people, or have recently moved on from being one, this post is for you.
What NEET Means and Who It Includes
NEET stands for Not in Education, Employment or Training. It is a classification used by the Office for National Statistics to describe young people aged 16 to 24 who are not currently studying, working in paid employment, or participating in any formal training programme.
The figure covers two distinct groups. Some are actively looking for work and not finding it: these are classified as unemployed. Others have stopped looking, often due to health conditions, caring responsibilities, or discouragement: these are classified as economically inactive. Both count in the NEET total. The distinction matters because the barriers they face and the support they need are different.
13.0% of all 16 to 24 year olds in the UK were NEET in April to June 2026, up 0.2 percentage points on the year. The total dipped to 981,000 after passing one million for the first time in January to March 2026.
The Full Breakdown
The ONS NEET bulletin for August 2026 shows 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training in April to June 2026, 13.0% of the age group. The ONS NEET bulletin for August 2026 gives this breakdown:
- Total NEET: 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24
- 13.0% of all 16 to 24 year olds
- Down 30,000 on the previous quarter (January to March 2026), but up 30,000 on a year earlier
- Young men: 13.7% NEET (530,000)
- Young women: 12.3% NEET (451,000)
- Unemployed and looking for work: 393,000, compared with 588,000 economically inactive
The figure has dipped back below 1 million after passing it for the first time in January to March 2026 (1,012,000), but it is still higher than a year ago.
A note on data quality: the ONS has flagged that Labour Force Survey estimates are currently less reliable than usual due to reduced response rates. These figures should be treated as indicative of direction and scale rather than precise counts. The direction of travel, with NEET numbers higher than a year ago, is consistent across multiple supporting data sources.
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What Is Driving the Increase
Several forces are working simultaneously. The most direct is the collapse in graduate-level and entry-level vacancies. Job postings on Indeed as of May 2026 were 29% below the pre-pandemic February 2020 baseline.
Employer National Insurance contributions increased in April 2025, raising the cost of hiring, particularly for entry-level roles. Small businesses with 1 to 9 employees saw the steepest fall in vacancy numbers of any employer size category, according to ONS data. These employers tend to provide first jobs for many young workers.
Mental health is also a significant factor. The Institute for Employment Studies notes that 85% of young people with mental health conditions say it affects their ability to find or function in work.
If You Are Currently Job Hunting as a Young Person
The labour market is genuinely difficult right now. With vacancies at their lowest outside the pandemic since 2014, the competition is unlike anything most university careers advisers prepared people for. That is worth acknowledging directly rather than offering platitudes.
What it does not change is that the things most within your control (how you present your applications, how systematically you follow up, how prepared you are for interviews) still matter and still differentiate candidates. A competitive market raises the floor on what "good enough" looks like.
Volume without organisation makes things worse. Applying to 50 roles with no tracking system means missing follow-up windows, applying to the same company twice, and walking into interviews without remembering what you said in your cover letter. Tracking your search is not a nice-to-have: it is basic professional infrastructure for an active job hunt.
Consider entry points, not just target roles. In a contracting graduate market, roles adjacent to your target field can build the track record and network needed to access it later. A narrowly scoped search in a tight market means fewer shots.
Use the tools available. University careers services remain available to recent graduates for up to several years after graduation at most institutions. Government Skills Bootcamps offer funded training in specific sectors. These are imperfect and limited in scale, but they exist.
For practical guidance on running an organised job search, see our post on how to track job applications effectively. If you are searching entirely from your phone, see how to manage your job search from mobile.
What the Government Is Doing
The UK Government's current response includes the Youth Guarantee and Get Britain Working white paper, which aim to provide every young person with access to education, employment, or training. Skills Bootcamps offer funded short courses in sectors with employer demand. Uptake and outcomes vary by region, and the scale of provision does not yet match the scale of the problem: Youth Employment UK noted that these figures are "historically unique" and called for considerably more coordinated action.
This section is included for completeness. It is not an endorsement or critique of any specific policy.
The Broader Context
The broader UK unemployment picture in 2026 provides context for these NEET figures. The overall unemployment rate was 4.9% in May to July 2026, down slightly from the 5.0% peak earlier in the year, and job vacancies have fallen to 702,000. Young people are absorbing a disproportionate share of a market-wide contraction.
These cycles do not last indefinitely. The labour market tightens and loosens: the post-pandemic years from 2021 to 2022 were genuinely exceptional, and the current correction is significant but not unprecedented historically. The job seekers who come through this period well are those treating the search as a managed, systematic process rather than a sequence of isolated applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does NEET mean?
NEET stands for Not in Education, Employment or Training. It is a classification used by the Office for National Statistics to describe young people aged 16 to 24 who are not currently studying, working in paid employment, or participating in any formal training programme.
How many young people are NEET in the UK in 2026?
981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were NEET in April to June 2026, according to the ONS NEET bulletin published in August 2026. That is 13.0% of the age group, down 30,000 on the previous quarter but up 30,000 on a year earlier. The figure passed 1 million for the first time in January to March 2026.
Why is the NEET rate higher than last year?
The UK NEET rate is higher than a year ago because entry-level hiring has slowed: vacancies fell to 702,000 in June to August 2026, the lowest outside the pandemic since 2014, and youth unemployment reached 16.4%. Of the 981,000 NEET young people in April to June 2026, 588,000 were economically inactive rather than looking for work, which points to barriers beyond job availability. Staying organised and keeping applications moving is one of the few factors in a young job seeker's control.
What support is available for NEET young people in the UK?
Government initiatives available in 2026 include the Youth Guarantee scheme and Skills Bootcamps, which offer funded training in specific sectors. University careers services remain available to recent graduates. For those actively job hunting, using structured tools to manage applications, such as My Job Trackr's free tier, can help maintain momentum and organisation during a long search.
