Young women exiting workforce faster than men

The numbers are stark. In June, the government reported that almost one million young people aged 16 to 24 are not currently in employment, education or training. And if you look closely at the data, you'll notice that this increase has been driven by women. In the three month period before June, the number of so-called “Neets” rose by 24,000; this can be broken down to a 25,000 increase in women, and a 1,000 drop in men. In total, the Office for National Statistics reports, there are now 450,000 young female “Neets” — that’s the highest number recorded since 2016, almost a decade ago. So why is this figure on the rise, reversing previous trends? What is holding women back from the workplace, or prompting them to drop out quickly?

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It’s undeniable that the job market isn’t exactly welcoming right now. “There are fewer jobs around, unemployment is rising, but then also, particularly for younger women, we are now seeing that Al is starting to reduce the number of entry level jobs as well,” says Anna Hemmings, CEO of Smart Works, the charity supporting unemployed women across the UK. And any conversation about women and work must also reckon with the fact that women overwhelmingly tend to shoulder caring responsibilities, whether that is for young children or ageing family members.

But this goes part way to explain what might be happening for the young women in the NEET cohort — many who aren't yet even of an age when they are thinking about starting a family. Mental health is also a major factor — but its a much more complex picture than you might think. Data from the King’s Trust shows that one in IO Neets left employment over the past year due to mental health; more than one quarter say this has stopped them applying for jobs. The government has earmarked this as a particularly pressing issue; earlier this month, they announced that a new review, headed up by the former health secretary Alan Milburn, will examine how mental health issues and disability factor into youth unemployment.