# Only half of England's young workers outside higher education secure permanent contracts, down from 81%

Source: [Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-england-young-workers-higher-permanent.html) · 2026-11-12 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/only-half-of-england-s-young-workers-outside-higher-education-secure-permanent-c-8e771245dc7157dc
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A study of young people in England found that among those not progressing to higher education, only 16% secured apprenticeships by ages 19–20.
- Only 23% of that group had secured stable work by ages 19–20.
- Of those in work, only half had a permanent contract, down from 81% in a similar study six years earlier.

## Why it matters

The figures show a sharp decline in job security for young non-graduate workers in England, which matters for anyone studying or analysing labour market outcomes and education pathways.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-12: Study findings on young workers in England reported

## Coverage

- [Only half of England's young workers outside higher education secure permanent contracts, down from 81%](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-england-young-workers-higher-permanent.html) — Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils, 2026-11-12

Tags: labour market, youth employment, england, permanent contracts, education, apprenticeships

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science