GETTING THE YOUNG INTO JOBS
LONG-TERM YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IS AT ITS LOWEST LEVEL ON RECORD
T HE proportion of young people in the UK who are in long-term unemployment has declined by nearly a fifth in a decade, new figures show.
Just 6.2 per cent of young people, or 356,000 in all, were in long-term unemployment in 2016, data from the Office for National Statistics revealed.
That is a reduction from the 7.6 per cent of people - or 417,000 - aged 18-24 who were long-term unemployed in 2006. To be classed as long-term unemployed, 18-24 year olds must have either never worked at all, or to have not worked for at least two years. They also must not have been in full-time education for at least two years. That means that, for example, 19 year olds who did not go to university and do not have a job are not included in the figures - and neither are university students.
The figure was as its highest in 2012, when 8.4 per cent of young people, or 494,000, were in longterm unemployment.
Northern Ireland had the highest long-term youth unemployment rate in the UK in 2016, at 8.2 per cent.
Wales was second, with 7.7 per cent, while in Scotland it was 6.3 per cent and in England 6.0 per cent.
Those aged 22 have seen the biggest reduction in long-term unemployment. In 2006 there were 78,000 men and women aged 22 who were not in employment - a figure which fell by 13,000 to 65,000 in 2016.
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “Youth unemployment has fallen by over 40% since 2010 and almost nine out of 10 young people are now in education, employment or training.
“The government has invested around £7 billion in 2017/18 to increase opportunities for young people. “Jobcentre Plus is working with over 1,500 schools to help young people into work, and through Universal Credit 18- 21 years old can receive intensive employment support for the first time. “We’re also improving the quality of apprenticeships with 1.2 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015.”