Young people in Britain are suffering a joblessness epidemic – and, so far, Labour is just making it worse | Larry Elliott

Economy The Guardian By Larry Elliott 11 Jun 2026 10:53 1 min read

Youth unemployment is harming the mental health of a generation. A sluggish economy will only make things harder 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 unemplo

Youth unemployment is harming the mental health of a generation. A sluggish economy will only make things harder

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.

Larry Elliott is a Guardian columnist

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