Nearly 1m young people out of work

[Starfeesh]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62gzl2yl24o

AIBU to be concerned that a life on benefits seems to be a viable option, and glad Labour are bringing in compulsory work placements?

I'm not convinced it's a viable option, other than for young people living at home whose parents are happy for them not to contribute anything towards food etc and subsidise them for other stuff, too.

The UC rate for under-25s works out a few pence over £73 a week, about the same as they would get for just one day's work at NMW for an 18 year-old. If they worked just 2 days pw, they'd double their income.

All the young people I know got p/t jobs as soon as they were old enough, with the exception of one who is ND and has a raft of health issues. One was working 2 evenings a week as a kitchen porter at 15, which I'm not sure is even legal. They all wanted their own money, and driving lessons as soon as they were old enough. I'm in the SE though, and I recognise that there may not be the same employment opportunities in other regions. They mostly worked in retail or hospitality.

If the problem is companies not wanting to take on school leavers, perhaps they should be incentivised to do so.

There are so many reasons for this:

• lack of good apprenticeship opportunities
• employers who demand years of experience and degrees for entry jobs that pay minimum wage
• the damage done by Brexit to the economy
• AI
• Labour failing to support small businesses
• the fact that employers these days are unwilling to train people and invest in their workforce.

It really is a perfect storm for young people and I think it is silly to suggest that it is their attitude towards work that is the issue.

Also for those who bleat about our over "generous" benefits system, the UK has some of the lowest benefit rates in Europe.

It's really difficult for them to get any sort of job, my 18yo job searched for 8 or 9 months, applied for hundreds of jobs and only had 3 interviews. Finally got a part time position in a shop but it was so demoralising for her to be rejected so many times.

My 18 year old DD is currently in college desperately trying to get a part time job. She didn’t start looking until she was 17, she had ASD and wanted to build her confidence before searching. She’s done 6 months of 2 days a week in a charity shop serving customers and a work placement at the LEA. So two really good references. So many shops, pubs and restaurants are closing there just isn’t much around. She’s handed out her CV, applied direct and through Indeed. Got told off by Waterstones staff member for sharing her data. The only thing she’s been offered is some support work for people with learning disabilities which is through word of mouth. She doesn’t feel confident enough as it can be challenging work obviously. I feel she should consider it for the money and the life skills. I worry about her getting a job after college/uni.

We've also had this nearly exact issue recently! Bought weed openly whilst on the job, was fired (construction industry, zero drug tolerance and routine testing) and then his mum rang up to ask for his job back for him because "everyone who is 18 smokes weed".

How many are out of work due to illness of the physical or mental kind?

Exactly this.

My mum always drummed into me that no job is ever beneath anyone. I think some young people have a sense of entitlement that they are owed executive level positions and more, but never have to work their way up from the bottom of what they might deem the crap jobs.

Interesting article here too.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/20/first-crappy-job-youth-minimum-wage

I will say however we do recruit a lot of young people successfully (although it's way harder than it should be to get enough applications considering how many are supposed to be looking for work). And the vast majority of young people who come to work for us are brilliant. It's thankfully rare for us to have to fire someone!

They barely get in front of potential bosses these days, AI filters them out before potential bosses even know that they exist.

When I left school (large comprehensive school on a council estate) in 1983 the youth unemployment rate was higher than it is now. My group of leavers struggled to get work of any sort.

The choice I had was the dole which I think was about £17 a week or a Youth Opportunity Scheme for £23 a week. I joined the scheme and worked on farms doing a 40 hour week for that money.

My old school friends were also on the YOP, learned skills in the armed forces, became student nurses, did trade apprenticeships.

It's hard to understand why there are so many NEET when the armed services, trades and nursing are all failing to meet recruitment targets. The armed forces haven't met their targets since 2019.

So bloody true. When I was a cleaner, there were two girls who were only 18 but they refused to clean toilets because apparently they were too good for that 🙄 that's the exact mindset young people have now

When I was 19 I bought my first flat (with my own money!) and moved out due to an unstable home situation. I would not have been able to do this had I not been paid a fair wage.

absolutely some entry level jobs are enticed to hire young people due to shitty wages, but let’s say two people work in a bar; one is 18 and one is 35. They both do exactly the same work and put in exactly the same effort, why should the 35 year old be paid more?

also just to add that as a young(ish) person I can’t help but feel we get the shaft with everything. Apparently undeserving of a fair wage according to some here, those of us who went to university are burdened with ridiculous loans, add to that we will never see a state pension - what benefits actually are there for young people in this county?

I’m far from someone who would move somewhere like Dubai (largely due to their dubious views around women), but I can easily see the appeal!

But rather than blame those giving up, why not look at, and change, the systems that are forcing so many humans to reach this state?

I can’t remember where I read it, but there was a quote about how rotten an environment must be for growing numbers of a population to essentially give up.

Does society really have to continue in a way that is toxic to so many? People are so defeatist about it all, and what changes could bring.

We can’t turn the clock back and stop Covid from happening.

I’d absolutely back that happening here.

Unemployment benefits are nothing if you live independently. If you’re living at home, they’re quite cushty. And that’s how the problem starts.

My autistic 18 yr old daughter applied for over 100 jobs in a 6 month period last year.
Only ONE got back in touch (to say no thanks). One.
Every application she did she amended her cv to try and say some of the ‘right’ things. But she has no experience so no employer wants to pay her minimum wage when they can get a 30 year old with lots of experience for only a little more.
She would love to work. The job center told her not to put that she is disabled on her cv as they will just go straight in the bin. When employers can employ ‘normal’ people why would they bother with ND ones?
75 people applied for a job in a pub locally. 75. How do young people stand a chance?
For those sayimg ‘ be carers’ that’s an appalling way to think.
Don’t you think people with care needs deserve someone with a bit of life experience and common sense? Just because there are lots of carers positions available does not mean to say everyone can do it.
My daughter cannot bear to be touched or touch strangers so how would that work?

If the government brings in its new workers rights bill then young people will be doomed.
I worry desperately about my child and her friends the majority of whom are in the same position. To be rejected over and over and over again-not even given the decency of a ‘thanks but no thanks’ email is soul and confidence destroying.

If all of you who think it’s easy for young people to find jobs then please give me your sage advice how to help my child as I am utterly out of ideas.
Let’s see what cracking ideas you have.

So when you back that -what do you expect them to live on?
How do they get to the interviews (not they get many IMHE), to the job center?
How do they buy toiletries , sanitary wear etc?

But may be worth it for the young person?

Hopefully the companies who do compulsory work placements would be better monitored than last time that was a thing.

My niece worked for the YMCA in a before and after school place for six months on one of the schemes. The whole way through her assessments were brilliant, but then at the end she was told she wasn’t actually suitable for the job full time so they wouldn’t be taking her on. She was let go and they got another young woman on JSA for six months free work. Three weeks later someone FT handed in their notice and my niece got a call offering her that job - a job identical to the one she wasn’t suitable for when it would have meant filling the role they were getting free staff for…

My kid stands out in the freezing cold, pissing rain and wind for 8 hours at a time directing traffic or drunk people, all the other people doing the job are young people too. They certainly don't feel entitled to an executive level position or feel like the job is beneath them but they would like more than 8 hours a month which is why they are all still looking for something else.

It’s horrific now, no experience because so many won’t take on pt staff, they just get ft staff to work extra, and making people work for nothing but calling it experience should be banned.

@LunaDeBallona I would dearly love to be able to come up with an idea that might help your daughter. Could you tell us what really interests her? What would she ideally like to do?

Why is not housing benefit ever included? if your rent is covered by housing benefit the rest is to live on. It's not much but everyone I come across who's on benefits don't seem to count that their rent is actually bloody paid for