UK ministers are scrapping requirements for companies to prove green values to win £90bn in government contracts, doubling the weight given to job creation and youth employment instead.
A UK parliamentary committee recommends cutting employer National Insurance contributions for all under-25s to combat rising youth unemployment and the "Neet" crisis, citing "overwhelming evidence" that employment costs reduce job opportunities for young people.
Andy Burnham faces significant policy challenges including rising welfare costs for mental health, increasing defence spending to meet NATO targets, reforming the underfunded social care system, and tackling the high youth unemployment rate in the UK.
UK ministers are expanding youth work experience and training schemes, aiming to create 300,000 placements over three years. This initiative addresses a 'quiet crisis' where nearly 1 million young people are not in education, employment, or training (Neet), with almost 60% never having held a job.
South Korea saw a surge of 221,000 wage jobs in Q4 2025, primarily in health, hospitality, and tech, but youth employment fell. Older workers accounted for a significant portion of new positions.
South Korea announced an 800 billion won ($541 million) youth employment support plan benefiting 100,000 young people. Major conglomerates including Samsung Group and Hyundai Motor will run vocational training programs in AI and semiconductor sectors, targeting vulnerable youth aged 15-34. The plan comes as youth employment hit a pandemic-era low of 43.5% in Q1, with 1.71 million unemployed people in their 20s and 30s.
Eurostat data shows 2 million young entrepreneurs aged 20-29 represent 8% of EU workforce, with Slovakia (12%), Malta (10.5%) and Romania (10%) leading. An additional 69,000 teenage entrepreneurs aged 15-19 have emerged, up 10% since 2022, predominantly male (47,000 boys vs 22,000 girls). Estonia and the Netherlands rank as most business-friendly EU nations.
