Official UK figures released on August 27 showed that the number of 16-to-24-year-olds not in employment, education or training fell to 981,000 in the second quarter. That was down from just over one million in the first quarter, although the total was still higher than a year earlier. The trend matters because prolonged youth inactivity can reduce earnings, skills, confidence and future tax revenues. Policymakers disagree over whether the biggest barriers are weak entry-level hiring, skills gaps, health problems or the design of welfare support. The next policy choice depends on which of those barriers should be attacked first.