New Delhi: For the past few weeks, India has been struggling under the weight of a “NEET crisis,” but it seems it is not the only country to do so. The United Kingdom is braving a NEET storm of its own, concerning its younger population.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of 16-to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training has increased by over a million.
The BBC reported that to qualify as a NEET, one must be “unemployed, economically inactive, not in formal education nor participation in any training schemes”.
The latest data accounts for 13.5 per cent of the country’s youth. A majority of the younger generation were not looking for work but seeking jobs, with a total of 613,000 economically inactive persons.
According to the ONS, more men were without work than women. However, 316,000 women were economically inactive compared to 297,000 men.
The national statistical institute also estimated that one in ten of the NEETs were graduates, with almost 400,000 looking for work.
The Youth Futures Foundation added that those without a school certification are more likely to remain unemployed for longer.
In 2025, former chancellor Rachel Reeves promised £820 million over three years across England to help the young find jobs, training, and other opportunities. There are also several government schemes as well as private organisations that offer help to the young throughout the UK.