While those in school, work or university were most upbeat, unemployed young people were generally optimistic. Three-quarters said they were very or quite positive about their futures, although a significant 22 per cent held a gloomier outlook.
Ben Stimson, BSkyB's head of corporate responsibility, said: "I think the results are reassuring. I would be depressed if young people were not optimistic. After all, if 16-year-olds can't be optimistic, who can?
That is not to dismiss the many young people excluded from education, training and work, but this research does give a wider picture."
The poll also asked young people who had the most influence on their decisions about their future. Parents, teachers, friends and relatives scored highly, but careers advisers were bottom of the list, with the exception of celebrities.
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