Destinations following the end of compulsory full-time education

Data on young people aged 16 to 24 years in the UK who were in education and training, employment or NEET (not in employment, education or training), by socio-economic background.

Summary main findings

In 2022, young people aged 16 to 24 years from higher professional backgrounds were the most likely to be in education and training out of all socio-economic backgrounds. People from lower working-class backgrounds were the most likely to be ‘NEET’ (not in employment, education or training).

Social class differences in the percentages of young people in education and training, employment or NEET were similar among young men and women.

Overall, the percentage of people from lower working-class backgrounds who were NEET was highest among the White and Black Caribbean ethnic groups (both 22%), and lowest among the Chinese and Indian ethnic groups (both 10%).

For young people from higher professional backgrounds, those in the Bangladeshi (66%) and Chinese (62%) ethnic groups were most likely to be in education and training out of all ethnic groups. White young people (34%) were least likely to be in education or training, but more likely to be in employment (57%).

Young people with a disability were much less likely to be in employment and much more likely to be NEET than those without a disability, across all socio-economic backgrounds.

---

By socio-economic background

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years who were in education and training, employment or NEET, by socio-economic background (UK, 2022)

Click or tap on legend items to toggle visibility

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years who were in education and training, employment or NEET, by socio-economic background (UK, 2022)

Socio-economic background	Employment (%)	Education and training (%)	NEET (%)
Higher professional	54.5	36.1	9.5
Lower professional	62.3	27.6	10.1
Intermediate	56.9	32.3	10.8
Higher working	58.9	28.4	12.7
Lower working	47.9	31.2	20.9

• Download the chart (PNG)
• Download the data (CSV 255B)

For the full download file, see Download the data.

---

By sex

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years in education and training, employment and NEET, by socio-economic background and sex (UK, 2014 to 2022 combined)

Click or tap on legend items to toggle visibility

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years in education and training, employment and NEET, by socio-economic background and sex (UK, 2014 to 2022 combined)

Socio-economic background	Sex	Employment (%)	Education and training (%)	NEET (%)
Higher professional	Men	53.8	36.0	10.2
	Women	54.4	37.7	7.9
Lower professional	Men	58.1	30.5	11.4
	Women	58.3	32.1	9.6
Intermediate	Men	58.6	29.5	11.9
	Women	59.8	28.2	11.9
Higher working	Men	57.6	28.3	14.1
	Women	57.6	28.1	14.2
Lower working	Men	48.2	30.7	21.1
	Women	47.5	30.8	21.8

• Download the chart (PNG)
• Download the data (CSV 408B)

For the full download file, see Download the data.

---

By ethnicity

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 from lower working-class and higher professional backgrounds in education and training, employment and NEET, by ethnic group (UK, 2014 to 2022 combined)

Click or tap on legend items to toggle visibility

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 from lower working-class and higher professional backgrounds in education and training, employment and NEET, by ethnic group (UK, 2014 to 2022 combined)

Ethnicity	Socio-economic background	Employment (%)	Education and training (%)	NEET (%)
Bangladeshi	Higher professional	24.1	65.7	10.2
	Lower working	35.6	49.5	14.9
Chinese	Higher professional	31.1	62.1	6.8
	Lower working	28.0	62.0	10.0
Indian	Higher professional	37.2	56.5	6.3
	Lower working	41.4	48.7	9.9
Pakistani	Higher professional	31.2	59.0	9.8
	Lower working	32.2	48.2	19.5
Black African	Higher professional	34.6	58.2	7.2
	Lower working	24.5	57.8	17.7
Black Caribean	Higher professional	40.5	49.4	10.1
	Lower working	41.3	36.8	21.9
White	Higher professional	56.6	34.2	9.2
	Lower working	51.2	26.5	22.3
Other	Higher professional	37.0	53.7	9.3
	Lower working	34.8	46.9	18.3

• Download the Lower working chart (PNG)
• Download the Higher professional chart (PNG)
• Download the data (CSV 739B)

For the full download file, see Download the data.

---

By disability status

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years in education and training, employment, and NEET, by socio-economic background and disability (UK, 2014 to 2022 combined)

Click or tap on legend items to toggle visibility

Percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years in education and training, employment, and NEET, by socio-economic background and disability (UK, 2014 to 2022 combined)

Socio-economic background	Disabled	Employment (%)	Education and training (%)	NEET (%)
Higher professional	Yes	44.7	32.3	22.9
	No	55.0	37.2	7.8
Lower professional	Yes	39.4	31.6	29.0
	No	60.5	31.2	8.3
Intermediate	Yes	42.2	27.5	30.3
	No	61.1	29.1	9.8
Higher working	Yes	34.7	26.5	38.8
	No	60.3	28.4	11.3
Lower working	Yes	23.6	31.5	44.9
	No	53.2	30.6	16.3

• Download the chart (PNG)
• Download the data (CSV 395B)

For the full download file, see Download the data.

---

About the data

Data source

Office for National Statistics, Labour Force Survey (LFS), 2021

Time period

2014 to 2022 combined

Geographic area

UK

What the data measures

The data shows the percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 years in the UK who were in education and training, employment or ‘NEET’ (not in employment, education or training).

NEET is defined as not in employment, education or training in the week before the survey.

Socio-economic background is based on the main earner’s occupation when the respondent was aged 14 years. Where there was no earner in the family, SEB is included in the lower working class.

Things you need to know

The data used is weighted using the LFS probability weights.

Estimated percentages come from a logistic regression model, controlling for gender and ethnic group. The model assumes that class effects are the same for each ethnic group.

For data by ethnicity, the estimated percentages shown are those for men. We show percentages only for those with lower working-class and higher professional backgrounds for illustrative purposes.

For data by disability status, respondents were asked if they had a health condition or illness lasting 12 months or more, and if that condition reduced their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. This is consistent with the definition of disability in the Equality Act 2010.

Type of data

Survey data

Full report

Read more in State of the Nation 2023 on GOV.UK.

---

Download the data

Download full dataset (CSV, 28KB)

This file contains the following variables:

• Indicator code
• Indicator name
• Area type
• Area code
• Area name
• Time period
• Socio-economic background
• Age
• Sex
• Category type
• Category
• Category type2
• Category2
• Value
• Unit

This is a new website - your feedback will help us to improve it.