Britain's Job Crisis: A Million Young People Unemployed or Underutilised
The UK's job market has hit rock bottom, with almost a million young people not in education, employment or training (Neet). This stark statistic is just the tip of the iceberg, however. Underlying the headline figure are two deeply concerning trends: a surge in youth unemployment and rising levels of ill health.
The official statistics paint a bleak picture: 100,000 jobs lost from company payrolls over the past year, and an unemployment rate of 4.8%. This is the highest level since 2010, with over 9 million working-age adults neither in employment nor actively seeking work. The government will soon respond to this crisis with Sir Charlie Mayfield's Keep Britain Working review, which aims to tackle rising levels of worklessness, particularly among those with work-limiting health conditions and disabilities.
At the heart of the problem is the failure to support mental health, a concern that Mayfield has highlighted repeatedly. "This issue is nasty," he warns. "We're missing out on huge opportunities to help people get back into work." For many, the main reason for not being in employment or actively seeking it is long-term ill-health – an issue that's near record levels.
The statistics are stark: between 2015 and 2024, the number of people with work-limiting conditions rose by 900,000, or 32%, among 50- to 64-year-olds. For those aged 16 to 34, this figure soared by 1.2 million, or 77%. Over a quarter of 16-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training are inactive due to disability and ill-health.
The government is under pressure to take action. The TUC has warned that unemployment for people with disabilities has jumped to its highest rate since before the Covid pandemic – nearly double that of non-disabled workers. Labour's opportunity to turn the page on a decade of Tory neglect of disabled workers hangs in the balance, and it will require real commitment from ministers.
Businesses are under pressure too, but their capacity to do more is limited by the government's constraints. Ahead of Rachel Reeves' budget, business leaders have made clear that they're at breaking point – unable to take on much more responsibility for supporting employees with work-limiting health conditions. Yet, unless they play a bigger role in helping those struggling to get back into work, nobody wins.
Investment in employee health and wellbeing should be seen as essential rather than a burden. Mayfield's call for businesses to experience that benefits their bottom line is a vital one – because it's only by working together can we create circumstances where more employers feel and experience the need to support employees with work-limiting health conditions. The job crisis in Britain cannot be solved unless we all acknowledge our interconnectedness and take collective action.
The UK's job market has hit rock bottom, with almost a million young people not in education, employment or training (Neet). This stark statistic is just the tip of the iceberg, however. Underlying the headline figure are two deeply concerning trends: a surge in youth unemployment and rising levels of ill health.
The official statistics paint a bleak picture: 100,000 jobs lost from company payrolls over the past year, and an unemployment rate of 4.8%. This is the highest level since 2010, with over 9 million working-age adults neither in employment nor actively seeking work. The government will soon respond to this crisis with Sir Charlie Mayfield's Keep Britain Working review, which aims to tackle rising levels of worklessness, particularly among those with work-limiting health conditions and disabilities.
At the heart of the problem is the failure to support mental health, a concern that Mayfield has highlighted repeatedly. "This issue is nasty," he warns. "We're missing out on huge opportunities to help people get back into work." For many, the main reason for not being in employment or actively seeking it is long-term ill-health – an issue that's near record levels.
The statistics are stark: between 2015 and 2024, the number of people with work-limiting conditions rose by 900,000, or 32%, among 50- to 64-year-olds. For those aged 16 to 34, this figure soared by 1.2 million, or 77%. Over a quarter of 16-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training are inactive due to disability and ill-health.
The government is under pressure to take action. The TUC has warned that unemployment for people with disabilities has jumped to its highest rate since before the Covid pandemic – nearly double that of non-disabled workers. Labour's opportunity to turn the page on a decade of Tory neglect of disabled workers hangs in the balance, and it will require real commitment from ministers.
Businesses are under pressure too, but their capacity to do more is limited by the government's constraints. Ahead of Rachel Reeves' budget, business leaders have made clear that they're at breaking point – unable to take on much more responsibility for supporting employees with work-limiting health conditions. Yet, unless they play a bigger role in helping those struggling to get back into work, nobody wins.
Investment in employee health and wellbeing should be seen as essential rather than a burden. Mayfield's call for businesses to experience that benefits their bottom line is a vital one – because it's only by working together can we create circumstances where more employers feel and experience the need to support employees with work-limiting health conditions. The job crisis in Britain cannot be solved unless we all acknowledge our interconnectedness and take collective action.
like, what's going on with this UK government rn? 1 million young peeps not getting jobs is crazy! 
they need to do something ASAP 'bout mental health support & disability issues 
it's all connected, you feel? 
businesses need to step up & invest in employee wellbeing too 
can't just leave them hanging 
gotta get the gov together with business leaders to make a change 
this job crisis is real & we need solutions now 
. I mean, almost a million young people not doing anything but just chillin' is a big deal! It's like, what's going on? The government's gotta step up their game and support these youth with work-limiting health conditions. Mental health is key here, fam 
. We need to invest in employee wellbeing and help businesses see it as a thing for their bottom line instead of a hassle. It's all about working together, you know? 
. The TUC is right, unemployment for people with disabilities is through the roof! We need Labour to bring some real change on this front 
. This crisis isn't just about jobs; it's about people's lives 
.
900,000 people with work-limiting conditions between 2015 and 2024 is a huge number 
. The government needs to take action ASAP 
, because unemployment for people with disabilities is now nearly double that of non-disabled workers 
This whole thing is like, a classic case of Tories not doing enough on mental health 
.
Please, that's just it – they need to take real action now, not just make empty promises to win votes.
, 1 million young people are struggling and it's not just about numbers, it's about lives 
. mental health is key here and it's sad that gov'ts still haven't taken it seriously enough 
. we need to shift our focus from just "fixing" the economy to actually supporting people's well-being 
. businesses have a huge role to play here too, they're not doing enough to support employees with health conditions 
.
. If we can help people get back into work, it'll be a win-win for everyone 
. But it's gotta start with acknowledging that we're all connected and working together 
. We can't just point fingers at the government or businesses - we need to take collective action 
. And it's not just the youngsters, either - 900,000 more people between 50-64 are dealing with work-limiting conditions too! It's like we're watching a generation slip through our fingers 
.
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I'm late to this thread, but the stats are crazy! I mean, 900k people developing work-limiting conditions between 2015-2024 is insane. What's really worrying is that most of these young folks (16-34) aren't even trying to get back into the workforce. Like, they're not even on the radar. And it's all because of mental health issues and stuff. It's like the system's broken or something. 
i mean, it's not like the gov hasn't warned us about this issue before... but seriously, 900k more ppl with work-limiting conditions since 2015?! that's insane! 
what's wrong with our society?! 
, which is crazy! 
. We gotta do better here! 
but its all connected, we need to support each other 
and we need to help em get back into work 
and businesses dont wanna take on more responsibility 
so govts and corps need 2 work 2gthr 
