A former Labour minister has warned that the crisis of over a million young people not in work or education has 'no easy solutions'. Alan Milburn, who served as health secretary under Tony Blair, said a 'whole system failure' has left nearly one in seven 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK classified as Neets (not in employment, education or training).
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Mr Milburn's interim report as 'sobering' and vowed not to allow a 'lost generation'. The report, commissioned by the government, estimates the crisis costs the UK around £125 billion a year, surpassing annual education spending in England. It warns the number of Neets could rise to one in six by 2031, representing 1.25 million young people.
Mr Milburn dismissed claims that migration is linked to youth joblessness, calling it a 'blame game issue', and defended Chancellor Rachel Reeves' policies, including the increase in national insurance contributions. He insisted there is 'no evidence' of a link between migration and the Neets problem, and said the root cause lies in systemic failures rather than individual government decisions.
The report identifies multiple factors behind the crisis, including the pandemic, smartphones, lack of work readiness among school leavers, and the jobs market. Mr Milburn warned that 'the institutions we built to support young people into adulthood are no longer fit for that purpose'. He urged young people not to give up, acknowledging that rejection has 'become part of the youth economy'.
