The number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) has fallen on-quarter and on-year.
Figures for the period from July to September, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show that during the period, 954,000 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK were considered to be Neet.
The figure represents a 0.1 per cent fall on the previous quarter’s figure of 966,000, and a 1.9 per cent drop from the same period last year, when figure was 1,096,000.
The ONS released the figures, as well as data for previous quarters adjusted based on the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) information and 2011 Census data, last week.
The government, which has previously refused to acknowledge the ONS figures, has put out its own release using different figures adjusted based on its own rules.
The government’s release shows the number of England’s Neets to have risen, from 811,000 between April and June to 932,000 between July to September.
It comes after FE Week reported concerns about the raising of the participation age becoming a “lost opportunity” due to a lack of investment in FE in August, despite a fall in England’s Neet numbers for the period from April to June.
The next set of statistics are due to be released on February 26.
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