Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe More than one million young people are now not in education, employment or training (NEET). Fresh estimates from the Office for National Statistics, released this morning, reveal 1.012 million 16 to 24 year olds were classed as NEET in January to March 2026. This is an increase of 55,000 from the previous quarter and 89,000 from the previous year. It means 13.5 per cent of young people in the UK are now NEET, up from 12.8 per cent in October to December 2025. This is the first time in 13 years NEET numbers have been over one million. The latest increase was driven largely by young men, and a sharp rise in economic inactivity. The ONS said 553,000 young men were NEET in the first three months of this year and 459,000 young women. The NEET rate among young men was 14.4 per cent, up 1.1 percentage points on the previous quarter. Among young women, the rate was 12.5 per cent, up 0.3 percentage points on the quarter. It comes hours ahead of the launch of a major independent review of young people and work, led by former Labour minister Alan Milburn. Milburn is due to publish an interim diagnostic report warning that Britain face a “generational fault line” unless ministers overhaul support for young people. His review is expected to warn that the number of young people who are NEET could rise to 1.25 million within five years if the government fails to reform education, health, welfare and employment support systems. The government was approached for comment.