Youth unemployment crisis hits Dudley and Lewisham hard
Young people in Dudley and Lewisham are facing severe challenges in finding work, according to a new report highlighting the soaring number of those not in education, employment or training (NEET). In Dudley, the NEET rate stands at 21.5%, far above the national average of 5.6%, while Lewisham has the highest rate among London boroughs at 6.5%.
Poor transport links a major barrier in Dudley
Dejanae, a 19-year-old animal science graduate, struggles to find local jobs: “You put Dudley, but it’s mainly jobs outside Dudley that come up because there just isn’t much here.” Even Birmingham, 10 miles away, is inaccessible due to a two-hour bus journey. Prime Minister Andy Burnham reinstated a £2 bus fare cap, but the Green Party calls for free travel for under-22s. A long-awaited tram extension in Dudley has been delayed for the eighth time.
High NEET rates linked to industrial decline
Dudley, once a manufacturing hub, saw local jobs vanish as heavy industry declined, pushing workers toward Birmingham’s growing professional sector. Callum, 20, has applied for over 1,000 jobs in four years: “There’s so little out there, and so many roles require experience young people just don’t have.” Council staff knocked on over 600 doors to investigate, revealing a “nervous cohort” with high neurodiversity and vulnerabilities.
Anxiety and social skill deficits among youth
Viv Webb, an employment and skills manager, said: “Lots of our young people are anxious about absolutely everything. That lack of social skill seems to be worse than I’ve ever seen it.” Roy Stokes, a substance use worker at Cranstoun, noted rising drug and alcohol use, especially among young girls, linked to poverty and lack of affordable after-school activities. Dudley has higher-than-average school exclusion rates.
Funding cuts exacerbate the crisis
West Midlands youth service spending fell by 88% in real terms from 2011 to 2022, with per capita spend at £25.74 for 5-to-17-year-olds, the lowest in England. In outer London, it is £50 per head.
London’s complex job market
In Lewisham, the NEET rate of 6.5% is the highest in London, with pockets like Downham facing high unemployment. Elevate 100 offers careers advice to 16-to-25-year-olds. While London has more jobs (job density 1.06 vs. 0.60 in Dudley) and better transport, competition is fierce. Kiara Kataike, a 25-year-old microbiology graduate, said: “Most companies were cutting jobs, not hiring.” Whitney, a 30-year-old business graduate, noted many firms expect unpaid work: “But I need to live. I need to buy food. I have to pay my bills.”
Outlook remains bleak
Angela Brown, manager at Elevate 100, described the London job market as the toughest she had ever seen, but added: “I don’t dispute that the picture looks even dire the more you go outside London.” The NEET crisis is a major challenge for Prime Minister Burnham, with eight of the ten worst-affected local authorities in the north or Midlands.
