Revealed: the UK towns with the fewest jobs for young people

A new report has revealed that the town of Rotherham in South Yorkshire has the fewest job opportunities for young people in Britain, with only 46 online vacancies for every 1,000 young people. This stark contrast to the more affluent Cotswolds area, which boasts 288 job opportunities for young people per 1,000. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) produced a "local youth opportunity index" to track job vacancies across the country and found that Rotherham faces a jobs market with the fewest suitable opportunities in the nation.

The report highlights deep regional divisions, with nine of the top 10 areas for youth job opportunities located in the south of England. Cities like Sheffield, Coventry, and Cardiff also rank among the bottom for youth employment opportunities. Meanwhile, places like Woking in Surrey, Gloucester, Cherwell in Oxfordshire, and Warrington in the north-west of England have the most opportunities.

The rise of youth unemployment, with a million 16- to 24-year-olds not in employment, education, or training, is largely due to mental ill health and a tough jobs market. The IPPR urges ministers to overhaul the apprenticeship system, create a "work start" programme to fund youth jobs, and introduce a "youth allowance" to replace varying rates of universal credit benefits.

Former Labour education secretary David Blunkett also responded to the report, emphasizing the importance of national ambition, local leadership, and investment to ensure that a young person's future is not determined by their birthplace.