More 15 and 16-year-olds in paid work

Largest rise in labour force participation among those aged 15 and 16

The labour participation rate among 15 and 16-year-olds was the lowest of all young people in Q4 2023. But this age group also added the most workers over the past two years. In Q4 2021, 56 percent of this group were in work; by Q4 2023, that proportion had risen to 62.8 percent.

More young people in the labour market

More young people have entered employment over the past two years, but the number of unemployed young people did not fall. In Q4 2023 there were 157 thousand unemployed young people, which was actually 8 thousand more than two years earlier. Unemployed status means that a person is not currently in work but is actively looking for work and can begin work immediately.

Although more young people began working, the number of unemployed young people actually rose slightly because there were fewer young people outside the labour force. In Q4 2023, 428 thousand young people were not part of the labour force, whereas two years earlier that figure was nearly half a million. Among those aged 15 and 16, the number outside the labour force fell from 125 thousand to 102 thousand.

Nearly one-third of 15 and 16-year-olds in paid work are ‘stacking shelves’

In 2023, nearly one-third of 15 and 16-year-olds in work were restocking shelves in the retail sector. Young people in this age group also often work as kitchen assistants, waiting or bar staff, or sales assistants (in store or at the cash register). Since 2021, more 15 and 16-year-olds have been working in the hospitality sector, both as kitchen staff and waiting staff. There has been a slight fall in the number of shelf stackers and shop assistants.