The Guardian view on rising youth unemployment: regional leaders as well as ministers must take action | Editorial

The Guardian view on rising youth unemployment: regional leaders as well as ministers must take action Editorial Worsening health is only part of the reason for the concerning rise in young people who are neither studying nor working L aunching a review into unemployment and economic inactivity among young people in December, the former health secretary Alan Milburn described the situation as a “national outrage”, and suggested that a “coalition of the concerned” would be needed to turn things around for the 16- to 24-year-olds known as Neets (not in education, employment or training). The latest figures, showing another increase in the final quarter of last year, to 957,000, underline the scale of the problem. The review is evidence that ministers are paying attention. The “youth guarantee” in the autumn budget means that £820m will be spent on paid work placements for 18- to 21-year-olds. But further bold reforms are needed if young adults are to be enabled to flourish. Several themes are clear. One is the rising prevalence of illness and disability, and the lack of a reliable system of work-based help. Positive results from a programme known as Individual Placement and Support should lead to a wider rollout of a resource shared by employers and workers that is somewhat similar to occupational health. But the role of illness and disability should not be overstated – as it often is by those with an axe to grind about working-age benefits. The roughly a quarter of Neets who are inactive for health reasons need support because the consequences of inactivity are harmful. But they must not be blamed. While illness-linked benefit claims from young people are concerning – between 2019 and 2024, they grew by 24% to 530,000 – the bigger challenge is how to engage non-claimants. One sensible step would be to widen eligibility for the youth guarantee, which is currently restricted to 18- to 21-year-olds on benefits. Work capability assessments should also be improved, and li...