Helen Whately on unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds, 27 April 2026

The statement

Unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds is at 14.3%—that means that one in seven young people is unemployed.

Helen Whately, 27 April 2026. Source

What the sources report

• Office for National Statistics, series YBVQ (LFS: Unemployment rate: UK: All: Aged 18-24: %: SA), release of 2026-09-14 reports unemployment rate, aged 18 to 24, seasonally adjusted (Dec–Feb 2026): 14.6%^src
• Office for National Statistics, series YBVQ (LFS: Unemployment rate: UK: All: Aged 18-24: %: SA), release of 2026-09-14 reports unemployment rate, aged 18 to 24, seasonally adjusted (Nov–Jan 2026): 14.4%^src
• Office for National Statistics, series YBVQ reports unemployment rate, aged 18 to 24, seasonally adjusted (Apr–Jun 2026, latest): 13.2%^src

Notes

The ONS series now shows 14.6% for December 2025 to February 2026, the period published on 21 April 2026.

The latest figure is 14.4% for April to June 2026.

The unemployment rate is the share of economically active people (those in work or looking for work), not of all young people.