New figures show 739,000 young people aged 16–24 were unemployed in the UK between April and June 2026, an increase of 97,000 compared with the previous year.

The unemployment rate among 16–24-year-olds rose to 16.2%, up from 14.3% a year earlier, while the number of young people in employment fell by 35,000 to 3.82 million.

The employment rate for young people also fell from 51.9% to 50.7% over the year, indicating continued challenges for young people entering and remaining in the labour market.

The latest figures come amid wider concern about youth economic inactivity, with the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) having exceeded one million earlier in 2026.