Internet-obsessed and job-shy Gen Z 'refuse to work for less than £40k' as number of those out of work and education nears 1 million
That was the message delivered to the Lords' social mobility policy committee by Graham Cowley, who works with young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in Blackpool.
Cowley, who was giving evidence on the factors behind economic inactivity among young people, informed the committee of a recent conversation with a colleague who told him that 'kids [are] on the internet 24-hours a day, and they don't want to work for anything less than 40 grand'.
When his remark was greeted with dismay by members of the committee, Cowley added: 'I know, I had that reaction. You may laugh, but that is the reality.'
His remarks followed the publication earlier this month of research by the Learning and Work Institute that showed 13 per cent of all 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are not in education, employment or training.
That number, backed by figures published this year by the Office for National Statistics, equates to almost one million young people - the highest level since 2013.
Sir Keir Starmer has said the number of inactive young Britons is a 'moral issue', with the Prime Minister warning of a 'wasted generation'.
Cowley's remarks will do little to allay those concerns, particularly with the British jobs market increasingly becalmed following Rachel Reeves's budget last October, which left employers with less cash to fund pay rises and take on new staff.
The Learning and Work Institute found NEET rates were significantly higher in Wales (15 per cent) and the North East (16 per cent) compared with London (9 per cent) and the South East (10 per cent).
Stephen Evans, the institute's chief executive, said the number of NEETs who have never had a paid job is 'really very stark and very worrying'.
'It's not a massive surprise for 16 year-olds,' said Evans of research suggesting that 58 per cent of NEETs have never been in paid employment. 'But the fact that you've got people heading into their mid-twenties and half of them have never had a proper job is quite shocking.
'It is going to have a long-term impact on their career prospects if we don't do something quite urgently.'
Cowley called for a stronger emphasis on instilling the importance of a strong work ethic at a young age.
'There's something about what's going on in the minds of these young people,' he told the committee. 'I believe if we were able to get to them earlier and imbue them with a sense of, "You need to put a shift in, to get what you want in life" then I think there's a real value in doing that.'
Lord Watts countered that it was natural for young people facing the prospect of earning low incomes to feel deflated and conclude it would be 'more comfortable to stay in the house than it is to go and try and find your way through life'.
As part of Labour's bid to overhaul the welfare system, Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, is planning a 'Youth Guarantee' for 18- to 21-year-olds.
The initiative would require mayors and local authorities to ensure young people have access to an apprenticeship, training and education opportunities or assistance with finding a job.
Those who refuse to take up work and training opportunities would lose their benefits, the government has warned.
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