recruitment
A young woman passes notices for jobs in the window of a recruitment agency in London (Reuters) Reuters

More than a million young people in the UK were not in education, employment or training (Neets) in the three months to September, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics revealed for July to September 2013 there were 1.07 million young people (16 to 24 year olds) in Britain who were Neet, down 19,000 from April to June 2013.

The research also found for the same period the percentage of all young people in the UK who were Neet was 14.9%, down 0.2% from April to June 2013.

In addition, for July to September 2013 more than half (55%) of all young people in the UK who were Neet were looking for work and available for work and therefore classified as unemployed.

The remainder were either not looking for work and/or not available for work and therefore classified as economically inactive.

The ONS found there were significantly more men (363,000) who were Neet, than women (231,000) over the same period.

The figures follow research that revealed almost a quarter of Neets in the UK have never had a job.

The Institute for Public Policy Research, a thinktank closely linked to the Labour party, argued that more than a million Neets could be rescued by radical reforms that would not cost the taxpayer a "penny more".

The organisation's No More Neets report, which was published ahead of the latest quarterly Neet figures, revealed almost a quarter (24%) of Neets have never had a job.

The research also found that more than (52%) of Neets claiming Employment and Support Allowance (and incapacity benefit) have been doing so for over a year.

"The number of Neets in the UK is a scar on our nation and represents our generation's failure in its responsibility to the next," said Graeme Cooke, IPPR research director.

He added: "Our goal should be to effectively abolish Neets, as they have successfully done in the Netherlands and Denmark."

The IPPR discovered there are just 4% of 15-24 year olds in the Netherlands and just 7% in Denmark that are Neet, compared to 14% in the UK.

This means the UK spent £2.5bn ($4bn, €2.9bn) on out-of-work benefits for the under-25s last year, including £1.2bn on Job Seekers Allowance.

London Unemployment