Cumbria's young people outperform national employment trend

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 14:29 · Archive

Cumbria has 3.4 per cent of 16 to 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training, below the national average of 5.8 per cent.

Young people in Cumbria are less likely to be out of education, employment or training compared to the national average. Data from September's Labour Market Briefing for Cumbria shows the county continues to outperform the rest of England, with 3.4 per cent of 16 to 17-year-olds classed as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) between December 2025 and February 2026. Nationally, an average of 5.8 per cent of young people are NEET.

In July 2026, 417 young people in Cumbria were recorded as NEET or with an unknown status, including 294 confirmed NEETs and 123 whose status was not known. Of these, 277 were from Cumberland and 140 from Westmorland and Furness. Cumbria's overall NEET rate for the county in July was 3.8 per cent per capita, with Cumberland at 4.4 per cent and Westmorland and Furness at 3 per cent.

NEET levels have risen by 37 per cent nationally between 2021 and 2024. In response, ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions announced a major youth employment drive backed by £1 billion. The programme, backed by businesses, is designed to create 200,000 jobs for young people and what ministers described as a means to 'reverse the rising numbers of young people neither earning or learning'.

How it is being reported

• County beating the national trend of young people out of employment and trainingYoung people in Cumbria are less likely to be out of education, employment or training compared to the national average.NW Evening Mail · 14 Oct, 12:56
• County beating the national trend of young people out of employment and trainingYoung people in Cumbria are less likely to be out of education, employment or training compared to the national average.Cumberland News · 14 Oct, 12:56
• County beating the national trend of young people out of employment and trainingYoung people in Cumbria are less likely to be out of education, employment or training compared to the national average.Westmorland Gazette · 14 Oct, 12:56
• County beating the national trend of young people out of employment and trainingYoung people in Cumbria are less likely to be out of education, employment or training compared to the national average.Whitehaven News · 14 Oct, 12:56

In this story: Cumbria · Cumberland · Westmorland and Furness · Department for Work and Pensions · England

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