Britain’s Youth Face ‘Lasting Penalty’ as Unemployment Climbs

Young people are bearing the brunt of Britain’s faltering recovery, leaving them at risk of lasting damage as they struggle to gain a foothold in the workplace, economists and charities said.

As concern over the magnitude of government spending cuts mounts, statistics yesterday showed unemployment among 16-24-year-olds jumped to 20.8 percent in the three months through July, the highest rate since records began in 1992. That figure is certain to rise as the economy struggles to avoid slipping back into recession, economists say.