New King’s Trust research suggests over 250,000 out of work young people are applying for jobs they don’t want because they’re desperate to work, as half say unemployment makes them feel hopeless about their future.
The King’s Trust TK Maxx Youth Index 2025 is released recently and finds that over a quarter (29%) of young people in the UK who are not in work, education or training (NEET) have applied for jobs they do not want because they are desperate to work.
One in five (19%) report they are applying for jobs every day and 22% say having a stable job is one of their biggest goals in life. Half (50% of NEET 16-25-year-olds feel hopeless about their future due to being unemployed.
The Youth Index is an annual research report from The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust) based on a YouGov survey of 4,285 16- to 25-year-olds across the UK, gauging young people’s confidence and happiness across a range of areas, from their physical and mental health to money and working life.
It reveals that NEET young people have the lowest happiness and overall wellbeing compared to any other group. Young people NEET for longer than six months had a worse overall wellbeing than those NEET for less than six months. Half (50%) of NEET young people say they do not feel in control of their future, compared to 39% of peers in education or employment. Young people out of work or education were also significantly more likely to always or often feel depressed, hopeless and ashamed.