Youth unemployment was around 13% in 2023... with 45% of 18 to 24 yo's having never had a job.
Funny how so many who are so concerned now, didn't give a xxxx 3 years ago.
Of course the LT figure is important, many people in the gig economy will often be in and out of the Job Centre, people between jobs are not really the issue.
NEETs and the LT unemployed is a very important issue, as we've both said....
I'm not down playing the 5.2% figure but its about the historic average (it was around 7% or 8% in 2012/13/14)
But as i said, there is also some Govt stuff going on here too, a 27% increase in NMW over the last 4 years is unaffordable for many businesses, if we actually managed to build decent affordable homes for rent, people wouldn't need such large pay rises.