Statistics published by the Welsh Government. Each chart covers the years since the 2016 Senedd election, or as far back as the figures go, and marks each election since.
Young people not in education, employment or training
13.7%
2024 (provisional)
A year earlier
13.2%(2023)
The estimated share of 16 to 24 year olds in Wales who were not in education, employment or training, by year.
The estimates combine survey and administrative data. The latest year is provisional and is revised the following year.
Young people not in education, employment or training: every figure in the chart, newest first.
Period
Wales
2024
13.7%provisional
2023
13.2%revised
2022
13.8%revised
2021
16.0%
2020
14.2%
2019
14.4%
2018
14.0%
2017
13.3%
2016
15.7%
Economic inactivity
23.7%
The year to 30 June 2026
United Kingdom
20.9%
A year earlier
24.1%(the year to 30 June 2025)
Wales
United Kingdom
The share of people aged 16 to 64 neither in work nor looking for work, over the twelve months to each date, in Wales and the UK.
From the Annual Population Survey, a sample survey: small changes from one period to the next may not be real. Each figure covers twelve months, so the figures for neighbouring dates share most of their months. They differ from the monthly headline labour market figures.
The Programme for Government 2026 to 2030 belongs to the Seventh Senedd. Choose the Seventh Senedd to see how often each commitment has come up.
The skills that Wales needs
Develop a Skills Strategy for Wales, informed by a national skills audit, to align skills provision, vocational education and qualifications with current and future economic needs. We will support a system that strengthens pathways into education, training and employment, helping people gain the skills, support and opportunities they need to enter, remain and progress in fair, secure and sustainable work.
Take steps to create a financially sustainable tertiary education system that delivers high‑quality education, skills and research, supports collaboration across the sector, and secures long‑term value from public investment, starting with our independent review of higher education funding.
Work to ensure that young people in Wales can live, study and work in Europe – including by maximising the opportunities for Welsh students that stem from the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ scheme and examining options for the future of the Wales‑specific Taith programme.
Develop a tertiary education system with clear and coherent learner pathways, supporting lifelong learning and enabling people of all ages to progress confidently between education, training and employment throughout their lives and to reach their full potential.
Reform Academi Seren, building on its strongest elements to support more learners, including from disadvantaged backgrounds, to fulfil their potential and progress into higher education, training or employment including here in Wales.
Strengthen opportunities for young people to fulfil their potential including increasing access to vocational pathways such as junior apprenticeships and ensuring the contribution of youth work is better valued and understood.
Source: Welsh Government, Programme for government 2026 to 2030: New ambition for Wales, first published on 10 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Mentions are found by matching the names of plans, bodies and schemes; a mention says nothing about progress.
Key moments in the Senedd
Statements, debates and legislation in Plenary on this brief, newest first. Oral question sessions are counted in the contributions below.
Each bar is the share of that party's speeches and questions in the Sixth Senedd that touched this brief, so large and small parties can be compared. The upright line marks the chamber as a whole: 2.8%.
Following concerns about the number of young people in education or training after the age of 16, the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) Committee undertook an inquiry into Routes into post-16 education and training.
Today marks a big milestone for thousands of learners across Wales as they receive their GCSE and vocational qualification results. This year, like in 2024, results are being awarded in line with 2019 pre-pandemic standards.
Today, thousands of learners across Wales have received their A level and vocational qualifications results with more learners gaining the highest A* grade compared to last year.
The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (“the Act”) received Royal Assent a year ago. The Act changes the way the post-16 education and training sector is funded and regulated.
Debate on the Children, Young People and Education Committee Report, 'Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?'
Tagged for: “employability”Translated from WelshOfficial Record
Month by month
198
210
109
118
243
136
100
0
127
341
55
Jan 2024FebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNov
Contributions tagged in each month of the Sixth Senedd.Show the numbers
Month
Contributions
January 2024
198
February 2024
210
March 2024
109
April 2024
118
May 2024
243
June 2024
136
July 2024
100
August 2024
0
September 2024
127
October 2024
341
November 2024
55
How this brief is put together
This brief follows the Programme commitments listed above and tags the record with the phrases below. Keyword matching can miss business that discusses the issue in other words, and can tag a passing mention.
Show the phrases it uses
A contribution is tagged when its English text contains one of these phrases. Capital letters don't matter, except in abbreviations, which must match exactly. It is also tagged when the title of the agenda item or question it was part of contains one, as long as the contribution is at least 30 words long. The brief is also tagged whenever one of its themes is.
