UK NEET count falls below one million — but annual total keeps climbing

The ONS estimates 981,000 UK 16–24-year-olds were NEET — not in education, employment or training — in April–June 2026, down 30,000 on the quarter and below one million for the first time in 2026. Yet the figure was 30,000 higher than a year earlier, driven mostly by young men. The 13% NEET rate ranks among Europe's highest.