A 2008 report by the OECD noted that youth unemployment in the UK had risen from 11% to 14% since 2004, only 45% of low-skilled youths find jobs after leaving school, and 13% of 16 to 24 year olds were not in education, employment or training.†

Now the BBC's Mark Easton has posted on his blog a new analysis of recent ONS data revealing that, while 3.8% of the total workforce is claiming Jobseekers' Allowance, 7.8% of 18-24 year-olds are doing so, and up to 19.7% of 18-24 year-olds in the most deprived areas of the country - that's almost one in every five young people! His Ten O'Clock News report interviewed young adults in Cannock Chase, where youth unemployment has increased from 1-in-20 to 1-in-8 in the past year.

The issue is rapidly becoming one of the greatest concerns among voters, now identified by 23% as one of the most important issues facing Britain today, up from just 6% a year ago, and ranking in fourth place (behind the economy, crime, and race relations/immigration).‡

If John Stott is right when he summarises the biblical assessment of work as being for the fulfilment of the worker, the benefit of the community and the glory of God, then surely access to means of livelihood for all is a question of justice and compassion? Yet, with unemployment now standing in excess of two million and job vacancies at their lowest figure since records began in 2001 (in the three months to February 2009 there were just 482,000 job vacancies, down 203,000 compared with the previous year), we would be wrong simply to blame the politicians and to wait for government to come up with a solution. The Church should also strengthen its role in supporting people both in and out of work, and encourage social enterprises and charities seeking to create employment and training opportunities.

For further comment on this and all the other top issues, watch out for Votewise Now! later in the year, the completely new edition of our general election guide Votewise!

† Jobs for Youth: United Kingdom, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, July 2008

‡ Ipsos MORI: The most important issues facing britain today

Graphic copied from Map of the Week: Young victims of recession, Mark Easton's blog; source: Office for National Statistics (Nomis)

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