Inquiry to highlight dangers faced by Neet young women

Carole Easton said women who become Neet in their youth are much more likely to suffer life-long implications such as low pay, compared to young men.

The trust cites 2012 research on youth and unemployment from the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, that shows young women unemployed in their youth have an annual salary of just £8,647 when in their early 30s, significantly lower than the average national salary.

Recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics also show that young women aged 18 to 24 years old account for the majority of Neets in the UK, with 428,000 young women compared to 346,000 young men.??

Easton wants more to be done to reduce the number of young women who become Neet, putting them on a level playing field with young men.??

Her comments come as the Young Women’s Trust launches its Scarred for Life? inquiry, which is designed to develop an understanding of why there is a higher proportion of Neet young women and what can be done to reduce the impact of being Neet.??

The inquiry, chaired by broadcaster Sian Williams, will run until February, when the organisation will publish a final report featuring key recommendations for policymakers.

??Easton said society needs to develops a greater understanding of the issue: “We would like people to realise that being Neet is not a predominantly male issue, it’s a predominantly female issue and that would certainly be a surprise for some people.

??“We are seriously concerned about the impact this is having on these young women now and we are fearful for their future.??

“We are running this inquiry because we believe the solutions are out there but they are not being implemented effectively across the country.?

?“Without concerted action, a whole generation of young women are in danger of being scarred for life on no or very low pay. We cannot allow that situation to go unchallenged.”