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Not engaged in employment, education, or training

The proportion of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) is commonly used as a measure of non-utilised youth labour potential [12]. Young people who are NEET are at risk of becoming disadvantaged or marginalised in the future [12-14]. How young people transition from education to employment can have major implications over their lifetime. The long-term impacts of becoming NEET include lower levels of earnings in later life, future unemployment, poorer physical and mental health, increased risk of teenage and early parenthood, insecure housing, homelessness, and involvement in crime [12]. NEET rates tend to follow a seasonal pattern reflecting the academic year.

This indicator presents the proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 years who are not engaged in employment, education, or training (NEET).

The proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 years who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) in greater Christchurch peaked after the February 2011 earthquakes at 16.8 percent in March 2011. Then, as young people in greater Christchurch took advantage of rebuild and other opportunities, the NEET rate decreased steadily to a low of 5.3 percent in June 2016. However, by December 2016, the greater Christchurch NEET rate had increased to 12.4 percent (13.6% for New Zealand). The figure suggests that the post-earthquake drop in the NEET rate for greater Christchurch has now dissipated. In December 2018 the greater Christchurch NEET rate was 12.4 percent, compared to 14.5 percent for New Zealand overall.