Inequality in education and labour market participation of young people across English localities: An exploration based on Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data

Currently, 792,000 16-24-year olds in the UK – 11.5% of the age group – are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), but not much is known about how this differs by local area. In this Briefing Note, we provide comprehensive statistics on NEET rates as well as transition rates from NEET back into education and employment for 150 small areas in England (“Upper Tier Local Authorities”), exploiting new administrative data linking all education and labour market activities at individual level.
When looking at certain groups, such as those eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) during secondary school or people with low-level qualifications, we find wider variation of NEET rates across English localities than suggested by region-level analysis. Shown mostly in maps, local variations of both NEET rates and rates of positive transitions out of NEET reveal substantial geographical inequality in young people’s opportunities.
In our view, the place-based patterns of inequality suggest area-specific support for young people and greater efforts to ensure that fewer individuals leave school with very low levels of educational attainment.