Economy · Jobs & pay · 20 October 2026
Young unemployment rises to 15.6% in ONS data
The House of Commons Library published labour market statistics for young people aged 16 to 24. Unemployment in this group reached 15.6% for June to August 2026. Caution is advised when assessing change over time periods.
The House of Commons Library has published new labour market statistics for young people aged 16 to 24, covering the period from June to August 2026. The data, released by the Office for National Statistics, provides an updated view of employment, unemployment, and economic inactivity within this demographic. The ONS also noted that it has reclassified Labour Force Survey data as official statistics in the August 2026 release.
Figures show that 715,000 young people were unemployed during the reference period, representing an increase of 54,000 compared to the previous year. The unemployment rate for this age group stood at 15.6%, up from 14.6% a year earlier. In contrast, 3.88 million young people were in employment, a rise of 10,000 on the previous year, while the employment rate fell slightly to 51.4% from 52.0%. The ONS stated that the reclassification "helps to increase the precision in our estimates", though it added that "caution is still advised when assessing change over time periods".
Economic inactivity among young people numbered 2.96 million, an increase of 41,000 from the previous year, with an inactivity rate of 39.1%. Separately, 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in April to June 2026, accounting for 13.0% of all 16-to-24-year-olds. The number of young people who are NEET exceeded 1 million in January to March 2026 for the first time since 2013. The ONS is currently developing a Transformed Labour Force Survey to eventually replace the current survey.
The announcement notes that youth claimant rates are not available for Northern Ireland constituencies. Readers are reminded to exercise caution when analysing more detailed estimates. The ONS advises that "caution is still advised when assessing change over time periods" and "when analysing more detailed estimates".
Written by StreetOwl from House of Commons Library’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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