A hard-hit generation - Nearly one in five young people living here in London is now on the dole

Published: 19 March 2010

• IT is no secret young people have borne the brunt of this recession. 

Nearly one in five (19 per cent) young people living here in London is now on the dole – that’s 99,100 16 to 24-year-olds. But it is all too easy to dismiss these young people as “London’s lost generation”. 

Each one of them has skills and talents that could make a real difference to this country.

The alarming new report from The Prince’s Trust and the Citi Foundation reveals that the capital could lose thousands of vital workers – nurses, teachers, doctors and social workers – if we fail to help young people find jobs. Young people in London are not only struggling to fulfil their ambitions, more than 27,500 of them are also missing out on necessities such as food and heating. 

We can’t afford to stifle these young talents now, particularly as we emerge from the longest recession on record. Only by investing in these young people now can we ensure this undiscovered generation isn’t lost forever.

Rosemary Watt-Wyness 
Regional Director The Prince’s Trust in London