The worst places to live in the UK if you’re young and unemployed

Almost one million young people remain outside work, education or training

A study by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that the gap is particularly stark in some parts of the country, where there can be just one suitable vacancy for every 22 young people looking for work.

The findings come as the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training remains close to one million. 

Between April and June, the number of NEETs fell slightly, from 1.01 million to 981,000.

Rotherham in South Yorkshire was identified as the area with the weakest availability of suitable jobs, with only 46 vacancies for every 1,000 young people. That figure is 58% below the UK average.

Several other areas also recorded significantly fewer opportunities. East Renfrewshire had 53% fewer suitable vacancies than the national average, while Broxtowe in the East Midlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme in the West Midlands were both 47% below it.

The regional divide becomes even clearer when looking at the 20 local authorities with the lowest vacancy rates. 

The East Midlands and West Midlands each accounted for four areas on the list, followed by the East of England, Scotland and Yorkshire. No southern region featured among the 20 areas with the fewest suitable vacancies.

The pattern was almost reversed among areas with the highest availability. Fourteen of the 20 local authorities with the most suitable vacancies were in the southern region.

Cotswolds recorded the largest difference, with 165% more suitable vacancies than the national average. Woking followed at 151% above average, while Gloucester was 139% higher, Tonbridge 137% higher and Horsham 129% higher.

The IPPR wants a new jobs programme for young people

The government is facing growing pressure to rethink how it tackles the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, with the IPPR arguing that the problem cannot be solved simply by increasing the number of jobs available.

The think tank believes support needs to be focused on the communities where young people are struggling most to find a route into work. 

One of its main proposals is a targeted employment programme that would use government funding to provide entry-level jobs in areas with the highest NEET rates.

It has also highlighted apprenticeships as another area in need of change, arguing that they have failed to provide a reliable pathway into skilled employment. 

The IPPR wants more apprenticeship places to be created in a way that makes them easier for young people to find and access.

Ministers are expected to consider further measures after Alan Milburn completes his review of youth unemployment later this year.

His interim findings warned that too many young people were being left on welfare, describing the situation as young people being “abandoned” to that system.

Milburn also raised concerns about the incentives built into the current benefits system, saying it can leave some people facing a “perverse choice” where health benefits provide a “higher income, less hassle and lower risk” than taking a job.