Unemployment is bad for anyone, but really hard on the young. That’s because prolonged periods of worklessness in your late teens or early 20s scar you for life. As academic studies have shown, it can cause depression and affect earning potential for years to come. There is a clear link between poor mental health and being unemployed.
That’s why Alan Milburn’s probe into youth unemployment won’t be one of the government-commissioned reports that is quickly filed away and allowed to gather dust. It makes uncomfortable reading for ministers. The number of people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (Neets) is rising, and the costs of inactivity are increasing. Britain has a jobs problem, and it’s getting worse.
