Youth unemployment surges past 950,000 after Rachel Reeves's tax raid, ONS figures reveal

Youth unemployment in Britain surpassed 950,000 towards the end of 2025, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The number of young people not in employment, education or training, otherwise known as Neets, jumped between October to December 2025.

ONS figures found that there were 957,000 Neets aged 16 to 24 over the period, a slight increase from 946,000 in the previous quarter.

David Freeman, joint head of the labour market division at the ONS, broke down why unemployment figures are on the rise.

He said: "The final quarter of 2025 saw a slight increase in the number of young people not in employment, education and training compared to the previous quarter. This was driven by higher unemployment, with more young people actively looking for work."

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