Small drop in Neets

One in six 16 to 24-year-olds in England were not in education, employment or training at the end of June this year, new figures show.

This was a small drop (0.2 percentage points) on the same time last year to 16%.

With 968,000 young people out of education and employment or Neet, it is the second highest June rate for more than a decade.

The data also shows a small rise in 16 to 18-year-old Neets.

Some 10.3% of this age group were recorded as Neet, compared to 9.8% in the same month of 2011.

Official statistics on 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training are published quarterly by the Department for Education.

They follow a seasonal pattern reflecting the academic year, with lower rates in the autumn followed by a gradual rise in spring and early summer to a peak in late summer.

The Neet rate reached a record high in third quarter of 2011, with 1,163,000 young people aged 16 to 24 out of education or work.