The youth unemployment rate for individuals aged 16 to 24 in Britain has risen to a decade high of 16% in October 2025, marking the highest level since early 2015.
Official data indicates that the total number of unemployed young people in the UK has reached approximately 735,000. Analysts attribute this trend to higher employer taxes and increased minimum wage rates.
Stephen Evans, executive director of the Institute for Training and Work, stated that such figures reflect both a growing desire among younger generations to seek employment and significant challenges within the British labor market.
Additionally, since October 2024—the date when the Labour Party implemented its first budget following their election win—enterprises have cut an estimated 187,000 jobs. Yaeli Selfin, chief economist at KPMG International, added that young workers “bear the brunt of the slowdown in labor market activity.”
