Bad jobs or benefits? Milburn should force employers to help the young | Richard Partington

Alan Milburn’s review of youth employment is expected to propose cutting benefits for under-25s in return for a legal guarantee of a job or training. The article argues that benefit rules alone cannot resolve the crisis: too few entry-level jobs, poor-quality work and limited employer support are also keeping young people out of work.

Almost a million young people are not in education, employment or training, and under-25s now account for about 40% of unemployment. Their unemployment rate has risen at its fastest pace since the 2008 financial crisis, while opportunities vary sharply by region: the article says young jobseekers in Rotherham face a sixfold gap in opportunity compared with peers in the Cotswolds. It also points to insecure, low-paid work and rising in-work poverty, and calls for employers to offer more outreach, work experience and entry-level roles.