NEETs: Understanding and Supporting Young People Not in Education, Employment, or Training
What Does NEET Mean?
NEET stands for Not in Education, Employment, or Training. It describes young people who are disconnected from both the labour market and the education system. The term is used internationally: Eurostat measures it for 15–29 year olds in the EU, while the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports it for 16–24 year olds. In the US, the same group is usually called "disconnected youth" or "opportunity youth".
Prevalence
- EU: 11% of 15–29 year olds were NEET in 2025, ranging from 5% in the Netherlands to 19% in Romania (Eurostat, 2026)
- UK: 13.0% of 16–24 year olds — an estimated 981,000 young people — were NEET in April to June 2026 (ONS, 2026)
Risk Factors
Disability
Young people with disabilities are significantly overrepresented in the NEET population:
- In the UK, around half of NEET young people have a disability (Youth Futures Foundation, 2025)
- The school-to-work transition is a point of particular vulnerability
Other Risk Factors
- Care leavers: In England, 40% of care leavers aged 19 to 21 were NEET, compared with an estimated 15% of all young people of that age (DfE, 2025)
- Low educational attainment: Leaving school without qualifications
- Poverty: Growing up in a low-income household
- Geography: Rural and economically deprived areas
- Ethnic minorities: In some countries, disproportionate NEET rates among certain ethnic groups
- Early parenthood: Particularly for young women
Psychological Impact
Being NEET is not just an economic problem. It can affect:
- Mental health: Long periods out of work and education can take a toll on wellbeing and confidence
- Physical health: Loss of daily structure and routine
- Social isolation: Loss of peer networks and community connection
- Long-term scarring: Early periods out of work can affect later earnings and employment prospects
What Works
EU Youth Guarantee
The Youth Guarantee (started 2013, reinforced by a Council Recommendation in October 2020) is a commitment by EU member states to ensure that all young people under 30 receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship, or traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving education.
- More than 63 million young people have started an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeships or traineeships thanks to Youth Guarantee schemes (European Commission)
- It is backed by EU financing under NextGenerationEU and the long-term EU budget, mainly through the European Social Fund Plus
UK Programmes
- Supported Internships: For young people aged 16 to 24 with special educational needs and disabilities who have an EHC plan, with support from a qualified job coach (see separate article)
- Kickstart (September 2020 to March 2022, now ended): Subsidised six-month jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit at risk of long-term unemployment — provided 163,000 placements in total (DWP, 2024)
- Youth Futures Foundation: The What Works Centre for Youth Employment, building evidence on what helps marginalised young people into good work
US Programmes
- Year Up United: Job training with corporate internships for young adults. An independent evaluation by Abt Associates found average earnings gains of over $8,000 per year for participants compared with a control group, persisting to the end of the seven-year study period (PACE evaluation, 2022)
- YouthBuild: Helps opportunity youth aged 16–24 earn job skills and credentials in construction and other high-demand industries while pursuing their education
What Employers Can Do
- Offer structured entry programmes: Work trials, traineeships, and supported internships with clear progression
- Partner with local support organisations: Youth services, Jobcentre Plus, VR agencies
- Lower artificial barriers: Degree requirements for roles that do not need them, unnecessary experience requirements
- Provide mentoring: Pair young hires with supportive, experienced colleagues
- Be patient: NEET young people may need more onboarding support and more time to adjust
Resources
- Eurostat NEET statistics: ec.europa.eu/eurostat
- ONS NEET bulletin (UK): ons.gov.uk
- Youth Futures Foundation (UK): youthfuturesfoundation.org
- The King's Trust (formerly The Prince's Trust): kingstrust.org.uk
- Year Up United (US): yearup.org
- YouthBuild (US): youthbuild.org