Alan Milburn Warns of Rising Youth Inactivity in the UK
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Alan Milburn Warns of Rising Youth Inactivity in the UK

By Dr. Priya Sharma, Property Markets Analyst · 18 May 2026 · 1 min read

Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Guardian Economics. Read the original article for full details. Many UK teams now handle this with dedicated property inventory software.

Alan Milburn Highlights Generational Problem of Youth Inactivity

Alan Milburn, who is leading a major review into rising rates of inactivity among young people in Britain, has described the issue as a “generational problem” with significant impacts on the UK economy, government finances, and society. Milburn told MPs on the Commons work and pensions committee that there has been a rapid increase in the number of young people not in education, employment, or training (Neet), which has now reached almost 1 million.

The rate of young people who are Neet peaked at about 16.8% in 2012, before falling back and then recently increasing to 12.8%. Milburn noted that the nature of the problem has become more entrenched, with a higher proportion of young people who are Neet having never worked compared to 20 years ago.

Milburn is expected to publish a review into Neets and ill-health for the government later this month. He described the situation as both a labour market and health crisis, with each issue reinforcing the other.

For UK letting agents and inventory clerks, these trends may have implications for the rental market, as youth inactivity can affect demand for rental properties and the stability of tenancies.


Source: Guardian Economics
About the author
Dr. Priya Sharma
Property Markets Analyst

Dr. Priya Sharma writes The Property AI's data-led coverage of UK property markets — rental indices, sold-price trends, mortgage flows, and regional analysis. Articles bylined Dr. Sharma cite ONS, Land Registry, Bank of England, and primary research data.

PhD Economics. Specialises in: ONS Index of Private Housing Rental Prices, Land Registry data, regional rental analysis, mortgage approvals trends.

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