Youth unemployment in Thanet reached a shocking 11.6%- equating to 1000 people- in March, meaning the isle has the highest rate of young people aged 18 to 24 out of work.
In January that figure was 10.2%- equalling 945 young people and in February there was a slight decrease with February 2025 at 10.1%, which equates to 935 young people.
The second highest area for youth unemployment is Hastings, which has now fallen to 9.7% from a previous high at 10%.
The youth unemployment rate in Kent for March was 6.1%. The national rate was 5.6%.
Figures for April are due to be published by the government next week.
Employment and training programme
One the schemes aimed at getting young people into employment is through a partnership between housing sector services provider Mears Group and youth employment charity Rise Up.
The aim is to help open doors for young people from all backgrounds to explore careers in the industry.
As part of their Building Aspirations programme a two-day workshop was held in Margate, helping 16–30-year-olds to take steps towards work or further training.
Backed by funding from the Mears Foundation, the partnership aims to widen access to employment through hands-on support and mentoring.
The event welcomed 25 young people from a range of backgrounds who took part in sessions focused on building practical life and career skills — including interview techniques, budgeting, goal setting and confidence building.
Volunteers from Mears also sat on a Q&A panel, giving young people the chance to ask about their career journeys, goals and challenges they’ve faced.
Several young people had already applied to Mears apprenticeship intake for this year and joined the sessions to learn more about Mears as an employer.
By the end of the event, most participants had either applied or were planning to – with some also expressing interest in roles in neighbouring Folkestone and Dover.
Oliver Jarret is 18 years old and is currently in his second year at college studying carpentry. He had missed out on the opportunity to pursue his dream career in electricals due to his original GCSE results.
He joined the two-day programme to progress his plans. He said: “I was keen to take part in the programme as it is opportunity for me to get one step closer to getting my apprenticeship.”
Jamie Lee Ward, Apprenticeships Project Manager at Mears Group, said: “It was an incredible experience to bring our Rise Up partnership to Thanet.
“Getting out into the community and speaking directly with young people who might feel unsure about their career prospects is exactly the kind of engagement we need.
“Helping to shift that mindset and show them what’s possible is what our apprenticeship programme is all about. It was fantastic to see how many left feeling inspired and keen to start their journey with us.”
Roman Dibden, CEO Rise Up, added: “We had the privilege of working with a number of inspiring young people from the Thanet area. Each one showed up during half term, ready to grow, learn and take steps toward a brighter future.
“In an area where youth unemployment sits at 11.6%, more than double the national average – this work isn’t just meaningful, it’s essential. We couldn’t be prouder of every single young person who took part. Their energy, resilience, and ambition were nothing short of powerful.
“We can’t wait to see where the next steps take them and we’ll be right there, cheering them on every step of the way.”
Rise Up
Rise Up is a youth employment programme for individuals aged 16-30. It offers mentorship, providing the tools and guidance necessary to help participants gain the skills needed for employment.
A tip to people of all ages that are trying to get a job, but are rejected due to lack of experience: Do some voluntary work! Seriously, (a) You’ll get a reference, and (b) It sounds good in a job interview. When I’ve been down on my luck, my voluntary work has included cleaning toilets in a sports centre and sorting out smelly clothes in the back of a charity shop, but the important thing is that they led to REAL jobs, that I very likely wouldn’t have otherwise got. Good luck folks! 😀
There are now unemployed doctors signing on & people leaving University with all manner of degress that are showing what a waste of money such places are as they are reduced to cleaning tables in fast food joints or serving coffees.
Charity work used to be a good way to get your foot in the door, now the greedy companies just see it as a way to exploit people they consider suckers & use the ever ready line of people as an excuse to sack more of their exisiting staff.
Youth Unemployment in Thanet-11.6%
Adult Unemployment in Thanet as of January 2024-5.6%. 3.4% in Kent & 3.7% national average.
Does make you wonder why the Thanet Jobcentres are still open. The figures just get worse every year & every time during a year they release their figures & yet they just send their latest shill of the month out to talk themselves up & make excuses.
Why is such abject failure tolerated & rewarded & no new ideas are come up with? Other than the useless job fairs with the same employers over & over, who clearly cannot find the talent they want first time round, so why would it be any different no matter how many the DWP hold? Or foisting people on useless outside agencies, who just want the cash they get for having them on their books?
Quite simply because everything is a box ticking exercise to send back to the idiots supposedly running the country. To prove people are doing something-even though clearly signing on & being sent on useless courses, run by the rich pals of the government, who have ruined everything they have ever touched over & over unsurprisingly doesn’t achieve anything for most people.
I suspect a measure of the amount of water (and possibly farmland) surrounding an area would correlate well with levels of youth and adult unemployment
And yet, we’re only a 1.5 hour train journey from central London, where there are plenty of jobs!
And how much does that cost to get there & back?
Indeed. The annual cost of a season ticket between Margate and London is around £7,300. Estimated minimum wage for 35 hour week for 18-21 year old £19,200. So for the princely sum to live on (food and rent) of about £12,000 you would have to work 35 hours, and commute for 15 hours to London and likely commute a further 5-10 hours a day (at additional cost).
It’s not really doable.
That should ba a further 5-10 hours a week
Yep & what a statement-hey no jobs for you here, so travel 160 plus miles every days.
If Reform can solve that problem they can solve the immigration ‘problem’. In other words, if places don’t have jobs do people move (immigration) or do we expect businesses to move (socialism)? Of course, immigration from Thanet to London doesn’t seem to be ‘immigration’, but what’s the difference?
I think I’m correct in saying the figure published doesn’t include young people on disability benefits as they aren’t classed as “unemployed”. So, if I’m correct, the figure is actually much, much higher.