Totally Wasted? The Crisis of Young Women’s Worklessness presents the interim findings from Scarred for Life? the Young Women’s Trust Inquiry into women who are not in education, employment or training (NEETS).

The number of women who are not in education, employment or training is high but for the past decade there have been many more women than men in this position.   Contrary to popular assumptions, only a quarter of women who are not in education, employment or training are mothers, but those who are, face even more barriers to working.  According to the report, young women who are NEET can be exploited, just as men can.  But a zero hours contract or job paying under the minimum wage is harder to avoid or escape when you have fewer choices in the first place, and harder to cope with if you have children to provide for and look after.

The report argues that economically it makes no sense to deny women who want to work the opportunity to do so.