The UK risks creating a “l(fā)ost generation” unless ministers take immediate action to stop young people drifting away from the workplace, business leaders warned on Sunday.
The British Chambers of Commerce said employers were increasingly concerned by official data suggesting almost 1mn people aged between 16 and 24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET), despite the need to foster new talent as Britain’s population aged.
These figures, based on the imprecise Office for National Statistics’ labour market survey, are unreliable. But separate data based on tax records also suggests jobs for young people have been hardest hit in recent months, as rising labour costs and mounting economic uncertainty weigh on hiring.