Young People in Insecure Jobs More Prone to Health-Related Work Exit, Study Finds
Young people in the United Kingdom are significantly more likely to leave their employment for health reasons and become economically inactive when working in low-paid and insecure sectors, according to a new study commissioned by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The research, conducted by the consultancy Timewise, highlights a direct correlation between the types of jobs commonly held by youth—such as those in hospitality, retail, and care—and higher rates of individuals exiting the workforce due to ill health.
High-Risk Sectors and Precarious Employment
The analysis indicates that occupations where young people are disproportionately concentrated are associated with elevated numbers of workers transitioning into long-term sickness and worklessness. These sectors often feature precarious or low-paid employment arrangements, with more than 40% of staff in accommodation and food services, for example, engaged in insecure working conditions. This includes zero-hours contracts, agency work, or low-paid self-employment.
Clare McNeil, chief executive of Timewise, emphasized the severity of the issue, stating: "Insecure and poor-quality jobs are contributing to a rising epidemic of inactivity amongst the young, who have the most precarious, low-mobility jobs of all. Our analysis shows that expecting young people to take up insecure, physical, inflexible work when they are facing a disability or mental health problems is futile—too often these jobs don’t work and they don’t last."
Key Findings from Official Data
By examining official data on workforce flows into long-term sickness, the research identified that the highest rates of economic inactivity due to ill health occur in sectors where young people are most likely to be employed. Specifically, three sectors account for the largest volumes of such transitions:
- Wholesale and retail
- Food and accommodation
- Health and social care
Roles at particular risk include hospital porters, road transport drivers, kitchen staff, and leisure and theme park attendants. The authors argue that these findings should inform the forthcoming government-commissioned review of youth inactivity, led by former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn, urging a focus on job quality in addition to quantity.
Current Youth Unemployment and Policy Responses
Latest official figures reveal that 957,000 individuals aged 16-24 were not in employment, education, or training (Neet) in the final quarter of 2025, representing 13% of this age group. Nearly half of these young people report ill health or a disability. Milburn is expected to publish a report this summer on strategies to address the recent rise in youth inactivity, while Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has announced a separate £1 billion scheme aimed at reducing youth unemployment. This initiative will offer employers £3,000 to hire young people who have been out of work for six months or more.
Milburn recently expressed broader societal concerns, noting: "There's a broader fear that parents and grandparents have, that their kids ... are not going to do as well as we've done. That's the first time that's really happened in a century. I think people feel that the social contract that we've had in society, that each generation would do better than the last, is now being broken."
Calls for Stronger Employment Rights
Paul Nowak, TUC secretary general, stressed that the link between job quality and economic inactivity underscores the critical need to fully implement the government's Employment Rights Act. He stated: "Young people need good secure jobs with decent prospects, including notice of their shifts and sick pay when they're ill. But too often they're stuck in insecure, low-paid work which leaves them at greater risk of dropping out of the workforce due to ill health. That's why the Employment Rights Act is so important and must be implemented in full."
Key provisions of the act, such as the right to statutory sick pay and paternity leave from the first day of employment, are set to take effect this month, with additional measures like reasonable notice of shift patterns scheduled for 2027.
Industry Perspectives and Concerns
Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, defended the sector, asserting: "Hospitality is proven to offer quality, fulfilling and flexible pathways into work and careers—whether it's a young person's first job or a flexible, supportive role for someone entering back into work. The ever-rising cost of employment, which particularly punishes the availability of entry-level, part-time and flexible roles, is one of the main driving forces behind the rising number of young people not in work."
Similarly, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, highlighted the importance of flexibility in retail jobs but cautioned against regulatory overreach: "Retail is built on flexible, local jobs that serve as vital entry points for young people ... If implementation of certain provisions within the Employment Rights Act, such as guaranteed hours, treat flexibility as insecurity by default, employers would become more cautious and that in turn would reduce the availability of such crucial opportunities in communities right across the country."
