MP calls on Government to reverse 'worrying trend' of youth unemployment

Stuart Anderson, MP for South Shropshire raised the issue during parliamentary questions asked to Ministers in the Department of Work and Pensions on Monday.

The MP had tabled an oral question about the accessibility of Jobcentres in rural areas, given their role in helping to tackle youth unemployment. It comes as the local youth claimant rate has increased since the General Election.

He said in August 2024, there were 1,365 claimants in South Shropshire, which was 2.6 per cent of the population aged 16-64. This included 185 claimants aged 18-24, which is up 10 claimants on the previous month.

In response to Stuart’s question, Minister for Employment Alison McGovern MP said that tackling youth unemployment would be a “major focus” of the new government’s work in this area - with a white paper on employment support expected to be published in the Autumn.

Mr Anderson said under the last government, the level of youth unemployment had almost halved. 163,000 young people started a job via the Kickstart Scheme, while 226,785 enrolled onto the Restart programme. Meanwhile, there were over five million new apprenticeships starts since 2010. Yet, there has been a 29 per cent increase in the number of 16–24-year-olds who have been signed off as ‘long-term sick’ since the pandemic. Almost 900,000 of the country’s young people, one in eight of them, are now not in education, employment, or training.

He added that he wants to tackle youth unemployment for the better as part of his plan to unleash rural prosperity and make South Shropshire the best place to live in, work, and visit.

Earlier in the year, he published an ‘Employment Support’ page on his website, which he said he will keep updated with any developments following publication of the White Paper. Stuart also said that Jobcentres must always deliver effective outreach with accessible careers advice in rural areas like South Shropshire.

He said: “Since the General Election, youth unemployment has sadly increased in South Shropshire. I want to see this worrying trend affecting rural communities like ours changed for the better. So, I have called Ministers to account on this issue.

"While I welcome the government’s intention to deliver a plan to address this topic, I want to see a clear focus included on rural communities. South Shropshire is full of potential. I want to ensure that everyone, regardless of background or geographic location, can access high-quality training and education opportunities as well as personalised careers advice. This will address skills gaps, boost productivity, and unleash rural prosperity.”