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Employment statistics mask young workers’ reality, says YWT

By agency reporter
July 19, 2018

Data released by the Office for National Statistics shows that 505,000 young women were out of work and full-time education in the last quarter – an increase of 29,000 on the same period last year:

  • 147,000 women aged 16-24 are unemployed – an increase of 11,000 on this time last year; and
  • an additional 357,000 women aged 16-24 are economically inactive (not in work or able to start work immediately) – an increase of 17,000 on this time last year. 

Commenting, Young Women’s Trust campaigns and communications director Joe Levenson said: “The high levels of women’s employment are welcome but the worry is that this is largely down to later retirement ages and zero hours’ contracts that don’t provide a stable income. 

“On top of the thousands of young women in precarious work struggling to make ends meet, there are half a million more still out of work and full-time education – 29,000 more than this time last year. Many of these women are not included in unemployment figures and are therefore not getting the support they need, despite wanting to work. 

“Young Women’s Trust is calling on the Government to give young women the right skills and support to find jobs, ensure decent and flexible jobs are available, and extend the National Living Wage to under-25s, so they are paid the same amount for the same work.” 

* Young Women's Trust https://www.youngwomenstrust.org/

[Ekk/6]

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