UK Neets approach one million

Pro-natalists argue that we need lots of young people to fund our pensions. Yest the number of Neets – young people Not in employment, education or training – is approaching one million in the UK. Instead of them contributing to society, society is having to support them.

The situation is the same across much of the Europe and elsewhere. Some might argue that this is temporary – an effect of the recession. Yet UK unemployment has been above 5% for almost all of the last thirty years. Continuing automation, such as self scanning and the internet, together with globalisation, are likely to mean that we need fewer workers in the future. At the same time, the healthy old can remain productive for much longer in today’s more common non-manual jobs.

Instead of worrying about too few workers, we should be planning for a time when fewer are required.

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