One of the most surprising things about the jobs market is the disappearance of a huge chunk of the young male workforce.
'Economic Inactivity' is the term used to describe people who are not in full time education and not either in work or looking for work. So if you were unemployed but looking for work - you are classed as 'active'
But the number of young men (16-25 years old) who are classed as economically inactive - neither in work or in full-time education, has risen dramatically from 5.9% in 1992 to 14.9% in 2023.
Whereas in the 1990s there was a huge difference between the economic inactivity rate of men and women - today the rates are much more similar, and young men and women are as inactive as each other.
Source: ONS Table A06: Educational status, economic activity & inactivity of young people: People aged 16 to 24 by educational status, economic activity and inactivity (seasonally adjusted)
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