The “hidden talent” of 2.5 million young adults is being wasted because they are on the dole, working part-time or in jobs for which they are over-qualified, the Government is warned. The problem of “underemployment” and underachievement among 16- to 24-year-olds is particularly acute in industrial cities of the north of England, such as Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester.
Official figures show another fall in unemployment in the United Kingdom to around 2.3 million, the lowest total since the financial crash of 2008, some 900,000 of whom are aged 16 to 24. But an analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) shows the picture is far gloomier for young adults in England and Wales than the headline figures suggest.
It says 40 per cent of 16-to-24-year-olds are failing to make the most of their abilities in the workplace, with nearly 1.3 million not working at all and another 1.2 million who are “underemployed or overqualified”.
In some areas the proportion is close to 50 per cent. Read more
