Young people with mental health conditions are nearly five times more likely to be economically inactive compared to others in their age group, according to new analysis published this week by the Keep Britain Working Review. This report sets out the economic inactivity challenges facing the UK and how this compares to other countries. It finds that:

There are 8.7 million people in the UK with a work-limiting health condition, up by 2.5 million (41 per cent) over the last decade, including 1.2 million 16 to 34-year-olds and 900,000 50 to 64-year-olds

These figures show young people (16 to 34-year-olds) with mental health conditions are 4.7 times more likely to be economically inactive than their cohort

Those who are out of work for less than a year are five times more likely to return to work compared to those who are out of work longer

The report also highlights the potential economic benefit of better prevention, retention and rapid rehabilitation: it finds that tackling sickness absence and ill-health related economic inactivity through these measures could be worth £150 billion a year to the economy.