91快活林

The Work Foundation at 91快活林 responded to the labour market figures for May 2026 released by the Office for National Statistics. Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at 91快活林 commented:

““Today’s labour market figures underline the importance of Government remaining focussed on the challenges facing young people in accessing sustainable and well-paid work.

“Unemployment remains high at 5.0%, but young people are bearing the brunt of today’s weak labour market. Youth unemployment has risen to 14.7% - with one in seven young people now seeking work. This is the highest rate in more than a decade, reaching levels not seen since September-November 2014. The proportion of young jobseekers out of work for more than a year has risen to over one in five (22.7%).

“Outside of the pandemic, vacancies have fallen to their lowest level for 11 years. There are now just 705,000 vacancies as employers hold back from hiring which is creating one of the most competitive job markets in recent memory. This is making it particularly difficult for young people to take their first steps into the world of work.

“And for those in work, pay growth is also slowing at a time when inflation remains stubbornly above the Bank of England’s target. Workers in the private sector are experiencing the lowest wage growth at 3.0% since October 2020. Persistently high unemployment coupled with weak wage growth is a double blow for living standards with real average weekly earnings have stayed at ?492 for the last year. This lack of real wage growth has weakened households’ ability to cope with further living cost increases as the impacts of war in the Middle East continue to feed through to workers’ pockets.

“Despite Westminster being engulfed by political turbulence, it’s vital that Government continues to take action to boost jobs growth and support those out of work to enter secure and sustained employment. In particular, for young people, it’s critical that the Youth Guarantee offers genuine pathways to secure and good quality work, while the Milburn Review provides an opportunity to address the underlying barriers separating too many young people from the jobs market.”