A UK government advisor has warned that rising anxiety, depression and dependence on technology are making it increasingly difficult for young people to adapt to the modern workforce.
Alan Milburn is expected to tell the government and businesses that flexible working arrangements and stronger mental health support could deliver long-term economic benefits, particularly as the number of economically inactive people aged 16 to 24 continues to rise.
According to reports, Milburn’s interim report on youth inactivity examines how social media, changing work expectations and mental well-being are contributing to the growing number of young people outside education and employment.
Milburn, a former health secretary under former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was tasked by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer with investigating why nearly one million young Britons are classified as “NEET” — meaning not in education, employment or training.
In the report, Milburn argues that companies and organisations must better understand how digital culture has reshaped younger generations. He said smartphones and social media have transformed how young adults communicate, cope with stress and engage with work.
“The system is trapping people in worklessness rather than enabling them into work,” Milburn told. “We’re at a risk of just writing a whole generation off.”
Milburn also described what he called a “bedroom generation”, referring to young people spending much of their lives online and disconnected from traditional workplace settings.
“This is a bedroom generation. They are sort of living in their bedrooms. They are on all the time; they’re never off. Social media is leading to some evidence of functional impairment, changing their sleep patterns and concentration levels. That is having an impact on their ability to work,” he said.
He rejected criticism that younger workers lack resilience.
“They are not snowflakes. People say it’s a soft generation. My view unequivocally is that it isn’t. It is an anxious generation,” he said.
Government data shows that more than half of Britain’s 946,000 NEETs have never worked before. Statistics also indicate that around one-quarter of young people suffer from long-term illness or disability preventing them from working.
Among those affected, nearly 43 per cent cited mental health issues as the reason for being outside the workforce, compared with 24 per cent in 2011.
Officials have also noted that youth inactivity in Britain remains higher than in several comparable countries. Research has linked unemployment during early adulthood with lower wages later in life.
Milburn’s report stated: “Young people are different, not worse, not lazier, not less intelligent. They have grown up in a digital world that has rewired how they communicate, form relationships, and manage stress. They have fewer experiences of workplaces and they present with higher levels of anxiety and depression.”
The report comes as migration to Britain has fallen sharply after reaching record highs in 2022. According to Milburn, businesses could recruit from the large pool of inactive youth if proper support and training systems are put in place.
Former headteacher and government advisor Peter Hyman also recently warned that schools are increasingly pushing vulnerable young people toward long-term disengagement from employment. He called for urgent reforms, including tighter restrictions on social media access for minors.
