New unemployment figures reveal young people hardest hit

As some analysts predict we’re now heading out of the recession at the same time others say we will continue to see rises in unemployment, with the hardest hit being young people.

National statistics reveal that 50,000 young people became unemployed in the past three months. There are now 928,000 jobless young people in Britain of whom 206,000 are aged 16 or 17 and 722,000 are aged 18 to 24.

However, the latest figures from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce indicate businesses are nearing the worst of the recession.

The results are revealed in the quarterly economic survey of almost 400 businesses in the two counties. The chamber said fewer firms are planning to cut jobs.
   
What’s the real story?
Well, in Nottinghamshire, we continue to maintain comparatively low levels of young people 16 to 19 who are in NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) but as we head to the end of summer exam results, we turn our attention to working to help all school and college leavers make their next moves.

Every year thousands of young people in Nottinghamshire, between the ages of 16-19, leave full-time education. It is the job of Connexions to ensure they are provided with right guidance in order to find work and training.

This is not something we can do alone. We need opportunities for these young people in the shape of Apprentices and jobs with training.  Is this something you can help with? If you have any vacancies available to school leavers you can advertise them through the Connexions Nottinghamshire’s opportunities team. Call: 0845 8508899.

How can the Government help ensure that we are not consigning a generation of young people onto the long-term unemployed? How best to motivate and encourage young people to continue in education in training when employment prospects look bleak? How can you help?

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