The two organisations calculate NEET figures separately, but this has resulted in conflicting data. Last July, DfES figures suggested that the number of 16- to 18-year-old NEETs rose from nine per cent in 2003 to 10 per cent at the end of 2004 (YPN, 6-12 July 2005, p3).
But the Connexions figures showed a 14 per cent drop in disengaged teenagers in the same period, to 7.7 per cent (YPN, 2-8 February 2005, p2).
A DfES spokesperson said: "We have been working out how we can get a consistent picture."
Each of the 47 Connexions partnerships tracks individual young people known to them. Education department statistics are estimates based on data from schools and colleges and labour market data.
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