A new Youth Employment Charter has been launched to encourage greater cooperation between the recruitment industry, education providers and employers in order to better prepare young people for the world of work.
The significance of the decline in unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds "should not be exaggerated" as many have returned to full-time education rather than face joblessness, according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD).
The proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds in employment declined between 1992 and 2010, while the proportion of over-50s in work rose, according to new research.
