The Economy Gave Up On Young People ... It's Starting To Show
Economics Explained
Jun 14, 2026
The rise of 'NEETs'—young people not in education, employment, or training—is not a crisis of laziness, but a structural failure. As entry-level jobs vanish due to automation and the cost of living skyrockets, the traditional path to adulthood has broken. Countries like the Netherlands and Sweden prove that vocational integration and affordable childcare can reverse this trend.
Key insight: In the UK, the share of NEETs reporting a work-limiting health condition nearly doubled in a single decade, rising from 26% in 2015 to 44% in 2025.
