Young people are more likely to be NEET in smaller English towns and cities

Smaller cities and towns in England have higher average rates of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) than the country’s nine largest cities, according to analysis of 2021 census data. The findings highlight how youth unemployment varies across the country and may reflect weaker local economies or difficulties connecting young people with available work.

Across the 10 smallest places analysed, an average 15.7% of 16- to 24-year-olds were NEET, compared with 13.9% in the nine largest cities and 12.6% across England. Blackpool had a rate of 21.2%; London and Birmingham had the largest numbers, at 117,095 and 44,995 respectively. In Telford, a new college and Department for Work and Pensions hub is helping young people access training and employers, including a course for a 21-year-old graduate who could not find work in games design.