Former Health Secretary launches inquiry into youth unemployment and inactivity

Former Health Secretary Alan Milburn has launched a major investigation into the causes of rising unemployment and economic inactivity among young people, warning that the UK risks losing a generation of 16 to 24-year-olds who are neither earning nor learning.

The inquiry, backed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), comes as almost one million young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Milburn used the formal launch to call for a national “movement” to tackle the issue, urging young people, employers, communities and experts to contribute their views as part of a new call for evidence.

The investigation will be supported by the DWP’s Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel and a group of experts from across health, business, education and government. Milburn said a “coalition of the concerned” is needed to address the scale of the challenge and develop solutions that match its urgency.

The call for evidence will run until 30 January 2026 and is open to anyone with experience of youth unemployment or inactivity, including young people themselves, families, educators, coaches and employers.

An interim report is due to be published in the spring, feeding into the Government’s wider efforts to expand employment, training and apprenticeship opportunities for young people.

The inquiry follows a £1.5bn government investment through the Youth Guarantee, alongside plans to support up to 50,000 additional apprenticeship places.

However, Milburn has warned that understanding the root causes of inactivity is essential if long-term change is to be achieved, particularly as health-related barriers and disadvantage increasingly affect young people’s ability to access work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Too many young people are being denied the opportunity to reach their full potential, and it is a crisis we cannot ignore.

“This Government has invested a further £1.5 billion to create thousands of work, training and apprenticeships opportunities, but to turn the tide on the longer-term trend we need to understand why so many young people have been left behind.

“That’s why I’ve asked Alan Milburn to help us build a system that supports them not just to find a job, but to build a better future – because when young people succeed, Britain succeeds.”