Number of young Aussies not working or studying on the rise
Youth unemployment has hit 10.5 per cent as experts warn social media and mental health issues are creating a generation disconnected from work and study.
Young Aussies are at risk of becoming a generation of NEETs, experts say, with the youth unemployment rate the highest it has been since the pandemic began.
Coined in the UK in the 90s, a NEET describes a young person not involved in education, employment or training.
And September’s labour force figures show they’re on the rise, with the rate of jobless 15 to 24 year-olds now at 10.5 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Excluding the pandemic, this is the highest level since March 2020 where 11.8 per cent of 15 to 24 year-olds were unemployed.
Youth psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg said social media’s “false narrative” and rising rates of mental illness among young Aussies were behind the high unemployment rate.
“Adolescence is tough in 2025, we’ve got record levels of mental health issues which disrupt important life transitions like getting a job, going to university, moving out of home,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.
“(Social media) gives young people this false impression of how the world works, convincing them they can have instant success, they don’t have to go to school or uni to become instant billionaires.
“It’s peddling this false narrative but also playing a role in creating (teens’) depression and anxiety.”
He added: “The whole life trajectory of these kids is badly altered, their social participation is reduced, their networks are reduced and they become dependent on their families … it’s a disaster.”
WorkWork co-founder Hayley Markham started up her business after noticing teens were struggling to get into the workforce.
“I’m worried (NEETs) will become a bigger trend, just with how much time is spent online … kids are now tech -savvy but insular, they’re confident speaking online but not face-to-face,” Ms Markham said.
“A lot of kids don’t understand what it takes to get a job, they’re really smart and want to work, but it’s a confidence thing.
“Their social skills aren’t up to par, they’re too nervous to take the next step, or they don’t know where to start and neither do their parents.”
Ms Markham, who helps teens learn social skills like eye contact and handshakes as well as how to draft a CV and perform at a job interview, urged parents to “encourage” teens now to help build their future.
“The best thing to do is build confidence rather than add pressure, try small steps like going out to the shops together, building a CV together or asking family and friends to get them a part-time job as a first step,” she said.
“If a teenager has a job, they get into that adult workforce and they understand workplace dynamics, the need to be on time and responsible, they become the employees who go the extra mile … being in the workforce has such a positive impact.”
A Department of Employment spokesman said the rise in Australia’s youth unemployment rate “is consistent with the easing in overall labour market conditions, and the labour market remains resilient”.
Sienna Catania, 15, found work at a department store recently, and said she had both “extra spending money”, and “learnt so much”.
“I actually find it really fun,” she said.
“I think all teens should get a job because it means that we are going to feel more confident when we have to get (full-time work).
Fifteen year-old Elli Malcolm said she built “confidence” to go out and ask shop owners for a job by attending a WorkWork workshop.
“I think that some kids are nervous to go and apply for jobs and don’t want to walk in and ask because it’s embarrassing to get rejected,” she said.
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Originally published as Number of young Aussies not working or studying on the rise
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