This posting is on two related subjects. Firstly there is a searchlight thrown on the plight of the young unemployed and not in education or training. That is the lead story here firstly from the Telegraph. Then Conservative Home picks that up too while then going on to give its reactions to the 6 million jobless revelations [posted here earlier as “The dependency state”]
So many people with so little hope.
Christina
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TELEGRAPH
18.8.09
Number of ‘Neets’ has reached record level, official figures show
One in six youngsters are out of work with the latest official figures showing that the number of ‘Neets’ – not in education, employment or training – has reached a record level.
By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
There are now 100,000 more 18-to-24 year olds who are not attending school or college or are in work than this time last year.
The statistics confirm that the effects of the recession have had a devastating impact on the ability of young people to find work, with the number of jobs available to school and college leavers having shrunk dramatically.
Figures released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families show that the number of younger teenagers considered to be Neets also has grown, with more than one in 10, 10.3 per cent, not in education or employment.
Iain Wright, the Children’s Minister, admitted that the current climate made the problem of tackling Neets more difficult, but said that the summer end of the academic year always brought a surge in numbers.
He said: "Reducing the proportion of 18 year old Neets has proved challenging, and we know that the economic downturn is significantly affecting young people.
"The Government has taken decisive action to strengthen existing provision and put in place new support for young people.
”
Over all, 959,000 16 to 24-year-olds – 15.9 per cent of the age group - are Neets, compared to 840,000 – 14 per cent – a year ago.
There are 233,000 Neets aged 16 to 18, 13,000 more than at the start of the year and 24,000 more than this time last year.
Last week, the unemployment statistics showed that the number of under-25s without a job stands close to 1 million, with 928,000 out of work.
David Willetts, shadow skills secretary, said: “It is very worrying that there is now a record number of 18-24 year old Neets. More than one in six young people are now without a job or a place in education or training.
“Ministers have comprehensively failed to get a grip on this crisis.
“Young people don't need more empty promises or celebrity gimmicks. [Doesn’t he mean ‘lump of sugar’ ? -cs] They need more apprenticeship opportunities, more postgraduate places and better careers advice.”
Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, added:
"We cannot afford to lose another generation of young people to unemployment and underachievement. “Tackling this crisis won't come cheap. We need more employers to take on apprentices and the Government must ensure its guarantee of training or work for young people out of work continues to be well funded, as demand will be high.
"Neets are likely to have low skills and poor experience so the training and work on offer must be meaningful. Otherwise it will just be a stopgap before further unemployment."
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CONSERVATIVE HOME Blog 18.8.09
Policy Exchange reveals the real scale of joblessness to be verging on six million
11.15am update: Just this morning the latest figures for the number of 18-24 year olds Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) have been released, which have hit a record high of 835,000, equivalent to 17.6% of that age bracket.
Shadow Universities and Skills Secretary, David Willetts, commented:
"More than one in six young people are now without a job or a place in education or training. Ministers have comprehensively failed to get a grip on this crisis. Young people don't need more empty promises or celebrity gimmicks. They need more apprenticeship opportunities, more postgraduate places and better careers advice.”
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Policy Exchange scores a good media hit [on the 6m on benefit story] with the splash in today's Daily Express, coupled with coverage elsewhere in the papers, as it reveals the true scale of unemployment across the country.
A new report by the think-tank puts the actual number of Britons out of work and living on benefits at 5.96 million - somewhat different from the official tally of 2.44 million, according to the latest figures.
Policy Exchange calculates the figure based on the number of those of working age living off the following benefits:
• 1.58 million on Jobseeker's Allowance
• 2.6 million on incapacity benefit and the new Employment and Support Allowance
• 736,000 on lone parents' benefits
• 400,000 on carers' benefits
• 363,000 on disability benefits
• 182,000 on other income-related benefits
• 95,000 on bereavement benefits
It also reminds us that the cost of the benefits system has risen from £93 billion in 1997 to £193 billion today, all of which will present a considerable challenge for an incoming Conservative Government if elected next year, as Policy Exchange's director Neil O'Brien explains:
“The narrow unemployment figures we are used to seeing tell you less and less about the real number of people who are trapped on benefits. To get the full picture you have to look at all the different benefits, including Incapacity Benefit and Income Support.
"Our unreformed benefits system is too complicated. It gives people too little financial incentive to work, and too little pressure and help to find work. Other countries have successfully reduced the number on benefits. We will need to totally change our system. There’s nothing kind about leaving people to rot on benefits.”
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Theresa May, said the report demonstrated the urgent need for radical welfare reform:
"These figures plainly show ?Labour’s complete failure to get to grips with our welfare system. Too many people have been abandoned on out-of-work benefits and now sadly the recession has made their situation even more desperate. The Government should adopt Conservative proposals for bold, radical welfare reform to help these people and their families before it’s too late.”
Jonathan Isaby
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