Navigating uncertainty: understanding the career challenges faced by 'NEETs'

The Early Careers Survey 2025 reveals the challenges faced by those not in education, employment or training, and emphasises the need for targeted support for this group

Between 9 January and 9 February 2025, over 4,000 users of Prospects.ac.uk took part in our Early Careers Survey, offering a snapshot of their career plans and experiences over the last 12 months. Among them, 13% reported that they were not in education, employment or training (NEETs) when surveyed.

This article explores NEET respondents' career plans, how confident they feel about achieving them, and who they turned to for careers advice.

Ethnic minority respondents over-represented among NEETs

These survey respondents tended to be older, with 32% aged 18 to 24 and 32% aged 25 to 34, with another 34% aged 35 or above. In comparison, half (47%) of those in education, employment, or training or were aged 18 to 24, and just 27% were over 35.1

While they were less likely to have a degree than others, most NEETs in our survey were university graduates. In fact, 77% indicated that they had an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. The majority (65%) of those with a degree graduated more than a year before being surveyed.

NEET respondents were more likely to be from an ethnic minority background, with 56% being white, compared with 62% of those in education, employment or training. Notably, Black respondents were significantly overrepresented among NEETs in our survey - some 20% were Black compared with 15% among those who were in education, employment or training.

These disparities were even more pronounced among 18 to 24-year-olds. In this age group, only 49% of NEETs were white, versus 62% of those in education, employment, or training. However, both Black and Asian respondents were significantly over-represented among NEETs in this younger cohort, with 21% being Asian, and 24% being Black. This is compared with 17% of those in education, employment or training who were Asian and 13% who were Black.

These findings underscore the need for more targeted support and inclusive pathways to ensure young people from ethnic minority backgrounds are not disproportionately at risk of becoming NEETs.

Moreover, NEETs were 1.7 times more likely to say that their day-to-day activities were limited by a health condition or disability - 44% indicated this when surveyed. This is perhaps unsurprising, given the well-documented barriers that disabled individuals face when transitioning from education into employment.2,3

NEETs engage with careers support - but often find it lacking

Most of these respondents indicated that they sought careers advice in 2024, with just 14% saying that they did not actively pursue such support. However, they were more likely to say the latter than respondents who were in employment, education, or training (11%).

When asked about the types of sessions they attended, respondents most frequently cited CV, cover letter, and job application guidance, followed closely by careers events. Careers guidance appointments were the next most commonly attended.

,NEET,NEET (18-24)
Careers guidance appointment with a careers adviser/teacher,43,53
CV cover letter and/or job application guidance,53,56
Job interview preparation,35,33
Talks by employers about careers,38,44
Talks by college/university staff about courses,33,37
Careers lessons/workshops,36,41
Careers events (e.g. job fairs),45,50

Interestingly, the only forms of advice that NEET respondents were more likely to engage with than other groups were CV and job application support, as well as job interview preparation sessions - suggesting a strong motivation to enter the workforce. In fact, they were 1.8 times more likely than the overall respondent group to say they planned to start or apply for a job as their next step, and 1.4 times more likely to explore both job and further study options.

Despite this motivation, NEET respondents faced significant challenges in 2024: 60% reported difficulty finding employment, compared with just 32% of all respondents. This is particularly concerning given that a sizeable proportion of NEET respondents identify as disabled or come from ethnic minority backgrounds - groups that often face additional systemic barriers to employment and education.

When we disaggregate the data by age, we find that NEETs aged 18 to 24 were more likely to engage with all forms of advice as well, aside from talks by college/university staff about courses, and careers lessons/workshops.

,NEET,NEET (18-24),All respondents,,,,
Careers websites,64,73,57,,,,
Printed guides magazines or leaflets,13,13,11,,,,
Social media or forums,41,43,38,,,,
AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or Copilot),21,25,18,,,,
Podcasts,14,11,10,,,,
Friends,38,45,38,,,,
Family,38,58,42,,,,
Teachers/lecturers,21,33,40,,,,
Careers professionals (e.g. careers adviser or life coach),41,47,34,,,,
Industry professionals,25,27,25,,,,
Work colleagues,16,12,21,,,,
I did not actively seek careers advice in 2024,14,4,12,,,,

When asked where they sought careers advice in 2024, respondents most commonly cited careers websites, social media or forums, and careers professionals as their top sources. Those aged 18 to 24 cited careers websites, careers professionals, and family as their top sources.

Notably, NEET respondents were more likely than others to turn to careers professionals, podcasts, and AI tools for guidance. In fact, they reported higher engagement with seven out of the eleven available advice sources, with those aged 18 to 24 reporting higher engagement with nine of the available sources - highlighting a broad and proactive approach to seeking support.

Given the significant challenges that NEET respondents reported in their job searches - and with half indicating they struggled to remain optimistic about their career prospects in 2024 - it’s unsurprising that they actively seek support from every available source.

Nevertheless, although they were more likely to engage with many of the available sources, they were less likely than all respondents to say that they were helpful. This was true for all sources aside from friends. Still, NEET respondents ranked industry professionals, careers professionals and AI tools as the three most helpful sources of advice they received in 2024. Those aged 18 to 24 found careers websites to be slightly more helpful than AI tools.

,NEET,NEET (18-24),All respondents
Instagram,40,48,46
YouTube,46,57,47
LinkedIn,70,62,57
Snapchat,4,9,6
TikTok,23,45,41
X,13,19,11
Reddit,28,32,19
Pinterest,7,7,8
Facebook,26,13,22
Threads,2,1,3
BeReal,0,0,0.4
Discord,5,9,4
Bluesky,3,4,2
Other,6,3,7

Two-fifths of NEET respondents noted that they sought advice using social media. When asked which social media platforms they used, 70% indicated that they used LinkedIn, a figure that is significantly larger than reported by all respondents.

Interestingly, they were markedly more likely than others to report that they sought advice on both LinkedIn and Facebook. This may be explained by the older age profile of NEET respondents compared with others, as research has shown that older users are more likely to use Facebook, and half of LinkedIn users were aged 25 to 34 as of February 2025.4,5

This is further evidenced by our findings, with NEETS aged 18 to 24 being far less likely to use both LinkedIn and Facebook, and also being much more inclined to use platforms such as Instagram, X, Snapchat, and TikTok.

NEET respondents feel less positive about career prospects

Predictably, given their struggles to find work and stay optimistic about their career prospects, NEET respondents (43%) were far less likely than all respondents (58%) to say that they were feeling 'very' or 'fairly' certain about their career plans. They were also two times as likely to express negative feelings about their career prospects, with 42% of NEET respondents indicating this, compared to 21% of all respondents.

Moreover, although NEETs aged 18 to 24 reported slightly higher levels of certainty than other NEETs in our analysis, with 47% reporting that they feel 'very' or 'fairly' certain about their career plans, they were just as likely to express negative feelings about their career prospects, with 41% saying this when asked.

Interestingly, when asked about the factors that have influenced their feelings about their career prospects, they were far more likely than all respondents to say that the availability of jobs, their mental health, and their physical health have contributed to their feelings.

It is clear from these findings that many NEET respondents not only face barriers to employment but also report lower levels of optimism and a higher prevalence of health-related challenges.

Targeted support for NEETs is essential

The findings from this survey highlight the complex challenges faced by NEET respondents - ranging from limited job opportunities and lower levels of confidence in their career prospects, to higher rates of disability.

Despite these barriers, many are actively seeking guidance through a wide range of channels, demonstrating both resilience and a strong desire to move forward. To ensure these individuals are not left behind, there is a pressing need for more inclusive, accessible, and targeted careers support that addresses the specific needs of those most at risk.

Also in this series:

• What the data tells us about NEETs seeking employment
• Information gap exists for NEETs who want to study

Notes:

1. Those still in mandatory schooling (13 to 17 years of age) were excluded from this analysis.
2. Employment levels among graduates with disabilities, Luminate, 2024.
3. What Happens Next, AGCAS, 2025.
4. Social Media Demographics to Inform Your 2025 Strategy, Sprout Social, 2025.
5. Global LinkedIn user age distribution 2025, Statista, 2025.

Written by

Micha-Shannon Smith

Assistant information analyst

Prospects