A new economic review warns that the United Kingdom risks creating a 'lost generation' as youth inactivity could surge to 1.25 million within five years without urgent action.
Former Health Secretary Alan Milburn will present the interim findings on Thursday, May 28, 2026, coinciding with official youth inactivity data from the Office for National Statistics.
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The review places responsibility on systemic failures in education, health, and welfare systems, rather than on young people themselves.
"This is not a failure of young people. It is a failure of a system stuck in the past," Milburn said.
He argued that the current system often puts young people on a path to benefits instead of jobs, calling for government prioritization.
Milburn is urging increased employer incentives to help youth enter the workforce and advocating for welfare reforms, as current disability and health benefit structures worsen the crisis.
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The report highlights a decline in apprenticeships over the past decade and fewer entry-level roles in retail, hospitality, and leisure.
Official figures due Thursday are expected to show the number of NEET (not in education, employment, or training) youth approaching one million, the highest in over a decade.
Milburn warned that without action, the proportion could rise from one in eight to one in six young people within five years.
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Young people also face severe housing affordability challenges, with Barratt Redrow's outgoing CEO David Thomas calling it one of the toughest purchasing environments since the financial crisis.
