A generation of young people in Britain is finding it difficult to fit into conventional workplaces, according to the government’s employment adviser. Alan Milburn, previously a Labour health secretary, plans to release a report this week stating that companies need to provide greater flexibility and mental health resources to prevent an economic crisis. Last November, Milburn, who held several posts under Tony Blair, was tasked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer with investigating why nearly one million individuals aged 16 to 24, or about one in eight, are not in education, employment or training. His preliminary findings on this group, referred to as Neets, will appear next week. The report, as reported by the Times, identifies increasing mental health issues, anxiety, depression and neurodiversity as key factors behind elevated economic inactivity among youth. It will also examine the effects of social media on young adults’ well-being, with Milburn claiming smartphones have altered their cognitive patterns. He stated that current structures keep people out of jobs instead of helping them enter the workforce, risking the loss of an entire generation. Describing them as a bedroom generation constantly online, he noted social media causes functional impairment, disrupts sleep and reduces concentration, affecting work capability. Milburn rejected notions of them being overly sensitive, insisting they form an anxious rather than soft cohort. Over half of Britain’s 946,000 Neets have never held employment, while a quarter cannot work due to long-term illness or disability. Among the latter, 43 percent cite mental health as the main barrier, rising from 24 percent in 2011. Officials noted last year that Britain’s Neet rate exceeds that of many developed nations, roughly double Japan’s or Ireland’s and triple the Netherlands’. Early unemployment before age 23 correlates with reduced earnings even twenty years later. The report will emphasize that these individuals differ due to a digital upbringing that has changed communication, relationships and stress management, resulting in less workplace exposure and higher anxiety or depression levels. Milburn is likely to suggest Neets could address labour shortages as immigration declines. Recent data showed net migration fell to 171,000 last year from a 2022 peak of 891,000. Former adviser Peter Hyman recently urged major reforms, including a social media ban, warning schools act as pathways to inactivity.
