Young people are facing a starter jobs drought after vacancies suitable for first-time workers fell by almost half over the past decade, according to new research.
Analysis of Adzuna job vacancy data by the Work Foundation and Lancaster University found average weekly starter job vacancies dropped by 49%, from 139,000 in 2016-17 to 71,000 in 2025-26, tightening competition for young people seeking their first step into work.
The study, carried out in partnership with Liverpool City Council, also found that the number of starter jobs available in 2025-26 was at its lowest level since the Covid pandemic.
The researchers said there was only one starter job vacancy for every three young people aged 16 to 24 who were not in education, employment or training (NEET) across the UK in late 2025.
The picture was even more stark in some regions, with six NEET young people competing for every starter vacancy in the North East and five in the East Midlands.
Researchers warned that competition is significantly higher than these figures suggest, as young people who are NEET are also competing against students, workers seeking a new role and older people returning to the labour market.
Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said: “This research shines a new light on the dramatic decline of job options available to those who want to work.
“The Government must take decisive steps to improve the quality and security of work on offer to young people, particularly in those parts of the country where the jobs market is weakest.”
Dr Divya Jyoti from Lancaster University Management School, who led the research with young people, commented: “Through no fault of their own, many young people in this study have faced difficult transitions and systemic barriers through their education and early lives.
“They are trying to find work in an extremely competitive market but are receiving little feedback or encouragement. We need to see strengthened support with trusted organisations to enable young people to take their first steps into work in such challenging local labour markets.”
Young people face jobs drought as ‘starter’ vacancies fall by half in last decade
· Analysis of Adzuna job vacancy data shows ‘starter’ jobs – vacancies that would be accessible for someone entering the workforce for the first time – have fallen by 49% over the last decade
· Figures suggest the number of starter jobs available for young people in 2025-26, averaging 71,000 vacancies a week, is the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21
· Young people’s chances of finding work varies significantly depending on where they live – there are six young people aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the North East for every starter job vacancy, compared to a national average of three to one
· Researchers call on Government to prioritise a more localised approach to place-based barriers to youth employment, alongside a focus on job creation and more support for young people while they are in education.
The Government’s youth employment drive faces a significant challenge as young people face a ‘starter’ jobs drought.
Researchers from the Work Foundation and Lancaster University, in partnership with Liverpool City Council, studied job vacancy data and undertook focus groups with young people in Morecambe and Liverpool.
The research shows that nationally, average weekly starter job vacancies have fallen by almost half (49%) from 2016-17 to 2025-26. And while total vacancies have fallen in recent years, the decline in starter jobs has been 1.6 times faster than for other jobs in the last 12 months (8.1% compared to 12.8%).
The largest contributor to the fall in starter jobs are declines in associate professional occupations – such as roles in human resources, business sales executives, and advertising and marketing roles – with average weekly vacancies falling by 73% from 2016/17 to 2025/26. Roles in sales and customer service occupations (such as retail assistants and call centre operatives) have also fallen by 59% since 2016/17.
In Oct-Dec 2025, there was only one starter job vacancy per three NEET young people in the UK.[1] Competition for these jobs is even higher than these figures suggest, as NEET young people will be competing with applicants who are in education, those already in work and looking to change jobs, as well as older workers looking to re-enter the workforce.
Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said, “The Milburn Review has rightly highlighted the systemic failures that make it much harder for many young people to enter and remain in employment. But this research shines a new light on the dramatic decline of job options available to those who want to work.
“The implications are clear – the Government must take decisive steps to improve the quality and security of work on offer to young people – particularly in those parts of the country where the jobs market is weakest.
“And we need to see more powers and funding devolved to address other place-based barriers to work, such as poor transport connectivity and skills, which often mean young people are unable to access employment opportunities that do exist.
“Without action to create more good-quality jobs, we risk investing heavily in reforms to education and employment support, while still leaving too many young people without a viable route into sustainable work.”
Where you live influences your experience of being NEET
Adzuna data suggests that NEET young people in the North and the Midlands face a more significant starter jobs shortage and are more constrained by the ongoing weakening in local labour markets:
- In Oct-Dec 2025 in the North East, there were six NEET young people for every starter job vacancy, and in East Midlands, there were five
- The quality of starter jobs also varies by region with starter job vacancies for young people in the North West much more likely to be temporary than those for the wider UK population in 2025.
Young people who participated in the study in Morecambe and Liverpool also reported a series of place-based challenges to employment.
Many participants described struggling early in life, shaping how they later engaged with support services such as JobCentres and council-funded programmes. Young people were grateful for support they received through the local council and voluntary sector, but awareness of these opportunities varied, and many voluntary sector schemes are struggling for long-term funding.
Participants also stated that hiring processes were complex, impersonal, and demoralising, with applications receiving little or no feedback. AI recruitment and automation appeared to create additional barriers for young people with lower attainment from secondary education.
Dr Divya Jyoti from Lancaster University Management School, who led the research with young people, together with colleagues, commented: “The young people we met in Morecambe and Liverpool aspire to be in education, work, or training but they feel alienated from the labour market.
“Through no fault of their own, many young people in this study have faced difficult transitions and systemic barriers through their education and early lives. They are trying to find work in an extremely competitive market but are receiving little feedback or encouragement. We need to see strengthened support with trusted organisations to enable young people to take their first steps into work in such challenging local labour markets.”
In response to the rising numbers of NEET young people, the UK Government has announced a £1 billion package to support youth employment initiatives and have commissioned the Milburn Review to identify the factors driving the rise in the NEET numbers.
Taking account of the findings of the study, and seeking to build on these initial interventions, the study calls on the UK Government to:
- Adopt a bolder, more localised approach to the Youth Job Guarantee, with a focus on providing secure, purposeful, and accessible employment opportunities
- Strengthen the devolution roadmap in England to ensure all places are equipped to tackle the specific barriers to youth employment they face
- Boost support during education to improve young people’s transition into work and reduce the risk of disengagement.
Leader of Liverpool City Council, Cllr Liam Robinson, said:“Youth unemployment is one of the most important challenges facing young people today, and it’s vital that both local and national government address it head on.
“In Liverpool, we’re taking a proactive, evidence-led approach, working with partners including Lancaster University to better understand the barriers young people face when trying to enter the workforce.
“Through our Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Programme, we are testing new and innovative ways to support young people into education, employment and training. This includes tailored mentoring, creative and sports-based programmes, and practical support for employers to help them recruit and retain young people, including those who are care-experienced or have disabilities.
“We’re also investing directly in our young people, committing additional funding to prevent youth unemployment, providing targeted careers support in schools, and creating new roles focused on increasing participation in education and employment.
“This is about making sure every young person in Liverpool has the opportunity, support and confidence to succeed, whatever their starting point.”
Yak Patel, Chief Executive Officer, Lancaster District Community and Voluntary Solutions, said: “This research reflects what we are seeing locally in Morecambe, where too many young people feel disconnected from the systems intended to support them. While opportunities for young people remain limited, we also see the strength that exists within communities.”
“Local organisations are often best placed to build trust, understand the realities young people face, and help connect them to meaningful opportunities. But this work requires sustained investment and much stronger coordination with wider services and support systems.
“If we are serious about improving outcomes for young people, we need more joined-up, place-based approaches that put community insight at their heart.”
The report ‘Starting out: Boosting youth employment in local labour markets’ is available at: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/starting-out.
