Alan Milburn has raised concerns about the significant £125 billion impact on the country due to the ‘Neet’ crisis, while also criticizing the misconceptions surrounding the younger generation. This comes as the former Cabinet minister under Tony Blair’s government releases a comprehensive report projecting that the number of ‘Neets’ – referring to young individuals not engaged in education, employment, or training – could reach 1.25 million within the next five years.
Recent data indicates that over 1 million young people are currently classified as ‘Neets,’ a situation that, according to Milburn, imposes a substantial financial burden of £125 billion on both taxpayers and the economy, surpassing the annual expenditure on education. However, Milburn emphasizes that the blame should not be placed on the youth for the shortcomings of the state, rejecting the notion of a disinterested generation towards employment.
In a detailed 217-page report commissioned by the Secretary of Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, Milburn refutes claims that mental health is merely an excuse or that struggling young people should simply put in more effort. He asserts that these are false beliefs and shifts the responsibility to the institutions that have failed in providing opportunities to the youth.
Milburn concludes that attributing the crisis to a single factor like Covid, smartphones, benefits, schools, employers, parents, or the youth themselves is simplistic and unsupported by evidence. Instead, he suggests that the current institutions designed to support young individuals into adulthood are inadequate, and this issue has been known for some time.
The interim report by Milburn reveals that a majority of ‘Neets’ – 61% – have never held a job, a notable increase from 42% two decades ago. Additionally, eight out of the ten English local authorities with the highest probability of ‘Neet’ status are located in the Midlands and the North of England, with Blackpool having nearly a quarter of its young population falling under this category.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Milburn states in his report that the acceptance of this crisis as background noise in public discourse is no longer tolerable. He emphasizes the necessity to address this issue promptly and restore the promise that each generation in Britain should surpass the achievements of the previous one.