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| British youth unemployment exceeds EU level for the first time |
| London, 16.02.2026 |
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| Youth unemployment in Britain is rising, with other data showing that for the first time in a quarter of a century, the youth unemployment rate in Britain has surpassed the unemployment rate in the European Union. TASR reports this based on a report by the GB News portal.
According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), unemployment in Britain in the age group of 16 to 24 reached 15.3% in the three months to the end of September. Britain has thus risen above the youth unemployment rate in the European Union, which averaged 15% over the period. For the first time since 2000, these figures are worse for Britain than for the EU.
Catherine Mann, a member of the Bank of England (BoE) monetary policy board, said that the main reason is the increase in the minimum wage. The previous Conservative government already introduced a significant increase and the current Labour government is continuing to do so. According to Mann, this has a huge impact on youth employment.
For example, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has increased the minimum wage for young people in the age group of 18 to 20 by 16.3% from April 2025. At the same time, she has increased the minimum wage for people aged 21 and over by only 6.7%. A further increase is planned for April this year, with the growth reaching 8.5% for young people aged 18-20 and 4.1% for those over 21. The hourly minimum wage for young people will reach 10.85 pounds (12.45 euros) and for Britons aged 21 and over it will be 12.71 pounds. For the youngest group of 16 and 17 years, it will increase by almost 6% to 8 pounds/hour.
Other economists, including those who support left-wing policies, have also criticized the sharp increase in the minimum wage for young people. They argue that the recent increase in the minimum wage above the level of inflation is increasing pressure on the labor market.
Angela Rayner, a former deputy prime minister in the current British government and a sharp critic of Keir Starmer's government, has also changed her mind. She initially supported the increase in the minimum wage, but now admits that the rise in wages "is a significant problem for companies in recruiting new employees."
(1 EUR = 0.8716 GBP)
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