Not a strong data-based case, more an example of think-tanks estimating figures for media impact. I did the data for what I think is a more considered analysis, at: www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/CFL/What-we-....
Milburn quotes a stat that "45% of young people aged 24 who are NEET have never had a job". There are about 130,000 NEET 24 year olds. The statement is that 45% of them never had a job, and 65% have had a job, but don't now. That's an estimate of 50,000, never worked, based on 35 respondents...
Worth reading, but shows how Alan Milburn hasn't engaged with changes in education and the labour market since 1997. The emphasis that NEET arises from problems in the school system doesn't address that the highest proportion NEET is at ages 21-24, long past influence of pre-16 school. Plus...
You don't *have* to speak a different UK language to work at IfG, but if you do you *will* get put in front of a camera. Fab work by @howesdaniel.bsky.social and @meganbryer.bsky.social!
Any Cornish speakers out there?
Most Neets are over 21, some also graduates, not 16 year old dropouts.
But increasingly concerned his review is looking at the labour market as people entering government in 1997 did. Despite a further 20 years of hourglass labour markets.
1
Successive governments have held up apprenticeships as a valid 16+ choice
But specialist advisers SSAC have uncovered how a mismatch with benefits has evolved
It puts big barriers in the way of young people taking up the best training for them
My blog explains ssac.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/23/t...
NEW: More than 18,000 vehicles are being used in the UK without proper records of where their owners live, it has emerged, part of what Labour MP Sarah Coombes has called an increasing problem of “ghost owners” who cannot be held accountable for their driving.
www.theguardian.com/money/2026/a...
🚨 The UK became less unequal because doctors became less well-paid (among lots and lots of other reasons) www.ft.com/content/8f27...
From memory... Back in the days of atos doing WCA, there was select committee evidence on assessments. A lot on numeric management.
I'd read the issue the other way round - all regulated professions could do it with a small number of restrictions (like the paramedics and pharmacists). Many nurses work as assessors, and have for years.
It's qualified to call themselves a 'health professional' who can provide the air-gap between the automated form summary (likely old-style machine learning) and the decision.
Think it was worse in inner cities. The Outer London equivalent fall was 25% rather than 35%. but my quick data only goes back to 1981 - I think hollowing out of inner cities discussed earlier. Probably some literature on that.
For the secondary schools, I recall mid 1980s as LA nominated governor of secondary school closed to reduce capacity in LB Barking & Dagenham, government promoting Grant Maintained status (like Academy) to schools designated for closure/merger to undermine LA planning.
This has happened before - chart shows London child populations from 1981 (from NOMIS). Numbers of Inner London aged 10-14 fell 35% 1981-88. Primary age showing minimum 5 years earlier. How did the Education Department and local authorities manage that? Did the NAO look into this? 1/2
Uprating policy is such a dog's breakfast. Arguably was already a mess before 2010 but Osborne went to town on it, using freezes as a way of permanently driving real-terms entitlements down. We're seeing a welcome but *partial* reversal of this: LHA is not a matter of detail.
A normal and sensible way to run benefits policy! So many examples of this in taxes and benefits (e.g. triple lock) where we seem unable to have principled arguments about the right level of things, so we just pursue weird uprating until people get unhappy / spending pressure grows
Chart that tells a story from @learnworkuk.bsky.social labour market briefing. Biggest employment falls in private sector like retail & hospitality. Growth concentrated in public sector, like health & public admin. Usual caveats about data, but suggestive of weak momentum heading into current crisis
3️⃣ Although most elements of Universal Credit increased this month (a welcome relief to lower-income families in the face of rising inflation), support with housing costs for the 1.7 million private renters on Universal Credit remains frozen 17 per cent below where it would be if uprated annually.
Its #WordWednesday
Today's Kentish word, taken from our online dictionary is
Bever
bee-vur. n. A slight meal, not necessarily accompanied by drink, taken between breakfast and dinner, or between dinner and tea.
A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect and Provincialisms (1888), pg 12
Also, remember that cycling is inherently individualist, rather than collectivist, which one might think would appeal to those identifying as classical liberal.
Hove, Axially.
Seems to ratchet up each recession, and never return. Back in the day, the decline of 'light work' jobs that employers had where they might be liable for injury/disablement/ the old 3% quota for registered disabled. Lots of early retirement 1979 on.
A data map by Florence Nightingale of causes of Death in the British Army fighting the Crimean War. Wounds are in blue but the vast majority of deaths are in red and from disease.
Hegseth frees warfighters from the tyranny of vaccination. Sounds like a plan.
Like this.....
18-24 employees up marginally over the year - the LFS 18-24 employment numbers are very volatile. LFS employment should be higher than HMRC employees - as LFS employment is employees + self-employment (not in HMRC). So 16-17 LFS employment must be understated.
Looking at the latest flows - but only job starts and finishes, which is what you get from HMRC - job starts (inflows) are almost same as last year job finishes well down on last year. Fall in unemployment unlikely to be much to do with Employment-Unemployment flows.
Much comment on the fall in the unemployment rate, without looking at where unemployment comes from or goes to. Flow chart shows October-December 2025. In OD2025, lots of flow from inactivity to unemployment as people started seeking work, much bigger than job loss.
I agree (and we've argued similarly). Two things I'd add. 1st is the evidence base isn't great - we need to add to that & spread what works. 2nd is only 1 in 10 out-of-work disabled people get employment support each year - we need to actually offer help! And help employers adapt too.
