Tackling London’s youth unemployment problem
London has the highest rate of youth unemployment in the country. Between November 2025 and January 2026, 24.6 per cent of Londoners aged between 16 and 24 were unemployed, compared with the next highest region (North East) on 23.5 per cent.1
The reasons for London’s continuing high levels of youth unemployment are complex and multi-faceted.
The number of traditional entry-level jobs has declined steeply over the last three years - administrative roles are down 56 per cent, sales roles are down 44 per cent, and customer service roles are down 59 per cent.2
Alongside this, the retail sector, which traditionally employs a large number of young people, has been eroded by the rise in online shopping.
The Economy, Culture and Skills Committee will meet tomorrow to investigate the state of London’s jobs market for young people, including the reasons why youth unemployment remains high in London, and what external factors are affecting employment opportunities.
The guests are:
Panel 1: Overview of youth unemployment (14:00 –15:30):
- Asli Atay, Senior Policy Adviser, Work Foundation
- Baz Ramaiah, Policy and Research Director, Youth Employment UK
- Ben Rowland, CEO, Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP)
Panel 2: Poverty, inequality and the impact on youth unemployment (15:35 – 17:00):
- Felicity Halstead, Founder and CEO, GoodWork
- Ayesha Baloch, Head of Youth Employment Policy, Impetus
- Melissa Milner, Chief Officer for Culture and Public Service Reform, Catch22
The meeting will take place on Thursday 8 October from 2pm, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- BBC News, 'I've been rejected from 500 jobs' - young people speak about job struggles, 16 March 2026
- Trust for London, Unemployment is rising among young people in London – what's going on?, 4 December 2025
- Youth unemployment is defined as the proportion of economically active population aged between 16 and 24 who are unemployed and actively looking for work
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
- Bassam Mahfouz AM, Chair the Economy, Culture and Skills Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Economy, Culture and Skills Committee
For media enquiries, please contact Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 or at [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.