Lancaster named among UK cities with the fewest jobs for young people

The analysis from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), as reported in The Guardian, shows young people face a tougher challenge in some parts of the country to find work than in others.

Publishing a new “local youth opportunity index” to track job vacancies across Britain, it said there was up to a sixfold gap in jobs in some parts of the country.

In Lancaster, the survey reports there are 73 suitable vacancies per 1,000 young people – below the national average of 109 – with an 18-24 population estimate of 21,043.

Lowest was Rotherham with 46 online job vacancies for every 1,000 young people, while there are 288 in the area covered by Cotswold District Council.

Suitable vacancies are occupations likely to offer entry-level opportunities, based on relatively low entry and experience requirements.

The report found nine of the 10 best areas for youth job opportunities are in the south of England.

Responding to the IPPR report, David Blunkett, the former Labour education secretary, said he had first-hand experience of the challenges facing young people from growing up on a Sheffield council estate and leaving school at 16 with no qualifications.

“Young people have an immense amount to give. With national ambition, local leadership and the willingness to invest, we can ensure that birthplace does not determine a young person’s future,” he said.

“We can renew the promise that should lie at the heart of any decent society: that no young person will be discarded, that the door to opportunity will remain open, and that everyone will have the chance to build a life of purpose.”