employment
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Education, employment and NEET outcomes among young people in the Greater West of England aged 16–24
This data insight describes education, employment and not in education, employment or training (NEET) outcomes for young people aged 16 to 24.
Where data for the Greater West of England are not available, regional estimates for the South West of England are presented, consistent with Office for National Statistics (ONS) regional geographies. The South West of England is one of 12 International Territorial Level 1 areas (ITL1) in the UK, comprising Gloucestershire and Wiltshire; West of England; North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset; Devon; and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
Using survey-based estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS), the data show NEET rates for those aged 16–24, as well as employment and full-time education rates among those aged 18–24. Comparisons are provided with England and England excluding London.
10.3%
NEET rate among 16–24-year-olds in the South West of England, 2025
63.9%
Proportion of 18–24-year-olds in employment in the Greater West of England, 2025/26 (Apr-Mar)
32.6%
Proportion of 18–24-year-olds in full-time education in the Greater West of England, 2025/26 (Apr-Mar)
NEET rates among 16–24-year-olds by English region, 2025
This visualisation shows NEET rates among young people aged 16 to 24 across English regions in 2025, based on Labour Force Survey estimates.
In 2025, the NEET rate was 10.3% in the South West of England, compared with 13.5% in England and 13.7% in England excluding London. Across regions, rates ranged from 10.3% in the South West to 20.4% in the North East. The NEET rate in the South West was below the England excluding London average.
NEET rate trends among 16–24-year-olds in the South West, 2001 to 2025
This visualisation presents trends in NEET rates among young people aged 16 to 24 in the South West and England excluding London between 2001 and 2025, based on Labour Force Survey estimates.
In the South West, NEET rates ranged from 9.6% in 2019 to 15.1% in 2013 and were 10.3% in 2025. Over the same period, NEET rates in England excluding London ranged from 10.8% in 2021 to 17% in 2011 and were 13.7% in 2025.
Caution should be applied when comparing across years due to survey reweighting and known discontinuities in the LFS time series from 2019 onwards.
Employment and full-time education rates among 18–24-year-olds, 2025
This visualisation shows employment and full-time education rates among young people aged 18 to 24 in 2025/26 for the Greater West of England, its constituent local authorities, and England. Figures are based on the Annual Population Survey (APS), which covers a 12-month rolling period; for example, 2025/26 refers to April 2025 to March 2026.
In the Greater West of England, 63.9% of those aged 18–24 are in employment, while 32.6% are in full-time education. Employment rates range from 44.9% in Bath and North East Somerset to 79.2% in South Gloucestershire, while full-time education rates range from 23% in Swindon to 60.7% in Bath and North East Somerset.
For England excluding London, 62.3% of those aged 18–24 are in employment and 30.3% are in full-time education.
Percentages for full-time education and employment are not mutually exclusive, as some young people in full-time education are also in part-time employment.
Employment and full-time education rates among 18–24 year olds, 2004 to 2025
This visualisation presents trends in employment and full-time education rates among young people aged 18 to 24 in the Greater West of England and England excluding London from 2004 onwards, based on Annual Population Survey estimates.
Across the period shown, employment rates among those aged 18–24 in the Greater West of England ranged from 60.3% in 2012/13 to 71.9% in 2007/08 and were 63.9% in 2025/26. Full-time education rates ranged from 20.8% in 2007/08 to 33.3% in 2015/16 and were 32.6% in 2025/26.
Comparable series for England excluding London show employment rates of 62.3% and full-time education rates of 30.3% in 2025/26.
