Pat McFadden has welcomed a fall in the number of young people outside employment and education while warning that Britain must do much more to prevent a generation being denied opportunity.
The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour’s Youth Guarantee would give young people practical support, paid experience and a route into lasting employment.
Writing for HuffPost UK, McFadden set out the government’s response to figures showing that the number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training—known as NEETs—had fallen below one million.
He said on X:
“Labour’s Youth Guarantee offers hope for young people.”
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that approximately 981,000 young people were classified as NEET between April and June 2026.
That represented 13 per cent of all people aged between 16 and 24, down from 13.5 per cent during the previous quarter.
Although the quarterly improvement is encouraging, the total remains 30,000 higher than a year earlier. Around 393,000 young people were unemployed and actively seeking work, while approximately 588,000 were economically inactive.
McFadden said the fall represented progress but stressed that the overall number remained far too high.
Labour’s Youth Guarantee is backed by £2.5 billion and will provide young people with access to employment support, apprenticeships, training, work experience and paid job opportunities.
A central part of the programme is the Jobs Guarantee, which provides a direct route into employment for 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for at least 18 months.
The government will fund up to 25 hours of paid work each week for six months, including minimum-wage costs and pension contributions.
More than 90,000 fully funded jobs are expected to be created by 2029.
The first participants have already begun jobs with Boots in administration, retail and warehouse-support roles. Other employers, including OCS and a range of small businesses and charities, are also offering placements.
McFadden said:
“Seeing the first young people start their roles brings to life what this scheme is about: real jobs, proper wages and a genuine route into a career.”
The programme is initially operating in Birmingham and Solihull, the East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Essex, central and east Scotland, and parts of Wales.
It will be expanded later this year to eligible young people across Great Britain.
Participants receive individual support to address barriers such as low confidence, limited experience and gaps in workplace skills. Employers also provide training and mentoring during placements.
The wider Youth Guarantee is expected to support almost one million young people and create 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn over three years.
Major employers are contributing to the effort. Sainsbury’s has announced 10,000 internships, while McDonald’s is introducing 2,500 paid work-experience placements, including 625 reserved for young people at greatest risk of becoming NEET.
McFadden has described tackling youth unemployment as a national cause requiring cooperation between government, employers, education providers, charities and local communities.
He has also argued that work can improve confidence, routine, social connection and mental wellbeing.
The government recognises that young people face substantial barriers, including poor mental health, shortages of entry-level jobs, insecure employment and a welfare system that can leave people without meaningful support.
Labour’s approach is based on providing opportunity and expecting engagement, while ensuring that young people are not simply “signed off and written off”.
The latest figures show the scale of the challenge but also offer an early indication that the direction can be changed.
For young people who have spent months or years applying unsuccessfully for work, a properly paid placement can provide the experience, confidence and references needed to build a career.
Labour’s Youth Guarantee is designed to turn that first opening into a lasting future—and ensure that no young person is denied the opportunity to earn, learn and fulfil their potential.
