Youth unemployment still a concern, despite 6-year high in employment

The Office of National Statistics has reported the lowest unemployment rates for over 6 years, with the official figure standing at just 5.6% in the quarter leading to February.  

31 million people were reportedly in work, which was around 250,000 more than the quarter leading to November, and around 500,000 more than the previous year. Overall, since 2010, almost 2 million more people are in employment.

However, despite this overall increase, the figure for youth unemployment (16-24 year olds) was still at 15.9%. It is worth noting that youth workers were the worst affected when the recession hit in 2008 and, although this is slowing improving, employment rates for younger people have still not recovered to pre-2008 levels.

Age discrimination

It has been suggested that one of the contributing factors to the drop in overall unemployment is the policies and legislation that protect against discrimination in the workplace. This has led to an increase of older people staying active in the labour market for much longer, which is supported by the fact that more than half of the increase in employment since May 2010 has been in the 50+ age bracket.

Part-time employment

Another suggestion is that, although more people are in employment, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are any better off. With a rise in part-time, temporary and zero-hours work, it seems that more people are taking on jobs that don’t offer much stability.  Consequently, 1.3 million people are currently working a part-time job, when they want full-time work, which is an increase of around 29,000. But it seems that even part-time work is still eluding many people between the ages of 16 and 24.

One reason for this could be the that young people lack the skills they need to break into the job market. Not just job specific skills, but basic employability requirements, such as literacy and numeracy, as well as self-management skills, experience and even a proactive work ethic. This perceived limitation in attitude and ability could be why youths are being overlooked for roles that would previously have been open to them.

The rise of apprenticeships

Despite the scaremongering and theories, employment is rising, and youth unemployment, although still high, is 3% better than it was in the previous year. A promise by the current government to increase the number of apprenticeships available to this age group may be the solution. Apprenticeships provide on-the-job training alongside classroom learning, to give young people all the skills they need to operate successfully in the workplace, as well as the basic employability skills they may be lacking, whilst earning a wage.

Health and Safety Training Ltd

The team at Health and Safety Training Ltd provide training to assist individuals with gaining the skills and qualifications they require to be successful in the workplace. As part of this, we now offer full apprenticeship programmes to young people throughout the North East, helping them break into the job market and build a successful career. To find out more, contact us on 019 6440 332.