Rising unemployment in the wake of the economic downturn is likely to hit young people hardest, a new report claims.
If unemployment reaches three million, then at least two in five jobless people will be under the age of 25, according to forecasts by The Prince's Trust and the University of Sheffield.
Danny Dorling, Professor of Human Geography at Sheffield University, said: "Young people are set to bear the brunt of the Britain's economic meltdown. If unemployment hits the predicted three million, there will be at least 1.25 million jobless young people.
"As employers across the country tighten their belts it is often the young that suffer most, as it costs nothing not to employ people. Action must be taken now to prevent young people from falling into this unemployment trap."
The researchers said the disproportionate threat of unemployment meant those at the younger end of the job market had to focus on their key skills to maximise their chances of finding work.
The Prince's Trust - the charity set up by the Prince of Wales in 1976 - says that youth unemployment costs the UK economy ??10 million a day in lost productivity.
