Key facts
- Rotherham has 46 online job vacancies for every 1,000 young people.
- The Cotswolds area has 288 job vacancies per 1,000 young people.
- Nine of the top 10 areas for youth job opportunities are in the south of England.
- The number of young people not in employment, education or training (Neet) has exceeded 1 million.
- The IPPR called for overhauling the apprenticeship system and creating a new "work start" programme.
- The IPPR also called for a new "youth allowance" to replace universal credit benefits based on work capability.
Young people in Rotherham face the most challenging job market in Britain, with significantly fewer opportunities compared to more affluent areas, according to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The analysis, which introduced a new "local youth opportunity index," revealed a sixfold gap in job vacancies between Rotherham and the Cotswolds, highlighting stark regional divisions that are contributing to a crisis in youth unemployment.
The IPPR report found that nine of the ten areas with the most job opportunities for young people are located in the south of England. Conversely, areas like East Renfrewshire in Scotland, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Broxtowe ranked poorly, along with cities such as Sheffield, Coventry, and Cardiff. This disparity comes as ministers await recommendations from Alan Milburn's review into youth worklessness, expected next month.
Britain has seen the number of young people aged 16 to 24 not in employment, education, or training (Neet) surpass one million for the first time in over a decade. The IPPR urged the government to prioritize reforms to the apprenticeship system, introduce a new "work start" program to fund youth jobs in underserved areas, and create a "youth allowance" to replace current universal credit benefits. Former Labour education secretary David Blunkett shared personal experience of growing up in Sheffield and emphasized the need for national ambition and local leadership to ensure a young person's future is not determined by their birthplace.