Summary
Rachel Reeves plans to announce a program to provide paid work placements for young people in the UK who have been unemployed for 18 months. This initiative aims to tackle long-term youth unemployment by offering job opportunities to young people receiving government benefits. The scheme will be funded from existing budgets and more details will be released in November's Budget.
Key Facts
- Rachel Reeves will announce a guaranteed paid work placement for young people unemployed for 18 months.
- The initiative is part of a plan to eliminate long-term youth unemployment.
- Young people on Universal Credit for 18 months without work or education will receive an offer for a job placement.
- If young people decline the offer without a valid reason, they may lose their benefits.
- An estimated 948,000 young people in the UK are not in work, education, or training.
- The program will collaborate with private businesses, which are expected to help pay wages for the placements.
- The program will be funded from existing government budgets, with details to be outlined in November's Budget.
- The Federation of Small Businesses supports the initiative but highlights concerns about businesses' ability to hire new workers due to financial pressures.
