Two decades ago, the majority of young adults in the UK were in work. In 2000, around 68% of 18–24-year-olds were employed. Fast forward to today, and that number has fallen to just 59%, a staggering drop that represents 400,000 fewer young people in work.
But that’s not the worst of it.
The latest ONS figures show that only 50.6% of all 16–24-year-olds are in employment, with nearly 3 million economically inactive – a youth inactivity rate of 40.8% and an unemployment rate of 14.5%. That’s more than triple the national average of 4.4%.
A Generation Cut Off From Opportunity
This is a national scandal. Our young people are being shut out of the labour market and denied the chance to start careers, build skills, and gain independence. And it’s having a catastrophic effect on their mental health.
- 60% of 18–24s report being regularly stressed, mostly due to pressure to succeed without meaningful opportunities.
- 34% show signs of anxiety or depression – rising to 41% among young women.
- Two decades ago, young people had the best mental health outcomes in the country. Now, they have the worst.
These are not isolated statistics. They are the direct result of a failed system that puts cheap foreign labour and mass immigration ahead of our own youth.
Mass Immigration Is Displacing British Workers
In early 2024, over 21% of the UK workforce was foreign-born – that’s one in five jobs. These are not high-skilled jobs. Many are the entry-level positions that British young people once relied on: hospitality, retail, delivery work.
- Deliveroo and Uber Eats alone support an estimated 100,000 riders, many of them recent migrants.
- In the health and care sector, 19% of workers born outside the EU are now employed. Among Sub-Saharan Africans, 42% work in care roles, and 40% of East and Southeast Asians are working as nurses.
This isn’t diversity. It’s displacement.
Meanwhile, the UK continues to issue vast numbers of study and post-study visas:
- 446,924 sponsored study visas
- 139,175 Graduate Route visas
Together, they give hundreds of thousands of foreign students a foothold in our labour market—while British youth are left behind.
A Country That Puts Others First Is Failing Its Own
This would be bad enough if we could afford it. But we can’t.
- The asylum system is now costing £3 billion a year, including nearly £6 million a day on hotel accommodation.
- If trends continue, the Home Office could be spending £11 billion per year – £32 million a day – by 2026.
Meanwhile, the government is scrambling to find £6 billion in spending cuts. Where do you think that money will come from? Youth services? Mental health support? Local job schemes?
The truth is simple: we are cutting support for our young while funding dependency for foreign nationals.
The Homeland Party’s Stand
We believe in putting British youth first – not last.
We will:
- Prioritise employment for British young people, especially in entry-level jobs
- Reform immigration policy to protect our workforce, not displace it
- Restore national confidence by tackling youth unemployment head-on
- End the taxpayer-funded incentives that reward mass migration and economic exploitation
- Reduce spending on asylum and foreign support, and reallocate it to mental health, training, and local job creation
Every job filled by an imported worker is a missed opportunity for a young Briton. Every year we delay is a year stolen from a generation already under immense pressure.
Let’s give them back their future.
