Sharp rise in 'Neets' shows impact of Covid lockdowns on UK young

Number of 16-24s not in education, employment or training surges to nearly 800,000, ONS reveals

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Fresh evidence of the impact of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on the young have been highlighted by official figures showing the sharpest quarterly rise in almost a decade of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the outlook for the under-25s was becoming gloomier even before the new variant of the virus forced all four nations of the UK to impose tougher curbs on activity in the new year.

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