Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAlan Milburn, the government’s jobs tsar, has warned that Britain faces an "economic catastrophe" from youth unemployment, with 729,000 young people aged 16 to 24 unemployed and 957,000 considered Neets (not in education, employment, or training). Milburn's interim report identifies a "rising tide of mental ill-health, anxiety, depression, and neurodiversity" as the main reason for high economic inactivity among young people. He links these issues to growing up in a digital age and extensive social media use, describing a "bedroom generation" whose "rewired" communication and concentration levels are impacting their ability to work. The report argues that the welfare state, "built for a different era," must change to prevent a "generational, societal and economic catastrophe" and avoid young people being trapped in worklessness. A related report contributing to Milburn's review also highlighted social media as a driver of a "quitting culture" and suggested that the education system, with its focus on exam pressure, has become a "Neet pipeline". In fullUK faces ‘economic catastrophe’ as young people are ‘rewired’ by smartphones, warns government’s jobs tsarThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Alan Milburn, a former Labour Health Secretary, talks about what he has uncovered while writing his major review into Britain's youth unemployment crisis

Alan Milburn called 16 to 24 year olds the ‘bedroom generation’

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAlan Milburn, the government’s jobs tsar,…

Young people are ‘sort of living in their bedrooms – they are on all the time, they’re never off,’ Alan Milburn said.

Social media and the welfare state are pushing Britain towards an “economic catastrophe” over youth unemployment, a landmark review has found.

Former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn says firms must offer more flexibility and mental health support

Britain is heading towards a serious economic problem and the warning is coming from someone who has sat inside the government. A former minister says the country risks losing an…

London's Business Newspaper

A UK government advisor warned that rising anxiety, depression and reliance on technology are making it harder for young people to adapt to the modern workforce.Alan Milburn is…