In the UK, nine million people are economically inactive and the biggest increase is in young people aged 16-24, with around three million people affected. Studies show an increase in common mental health disorders among young people out of work, such as increasing anxiety, depression, stress-related conditions, a sharp increase in panic disorders, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders, as well as a significant increase in psychological distress among 44-year-olds. Economic inactivity refers to people of working age who are not employed, have not looked for work in the last four weeks, and cannot start work in the next two weeks. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of economic inactivity in the UK were lower than in comparable advanced economies. The pandemic has increased inactivity worldwide, but in the UK unemployment rates have been slower to recover, particularly among young people, who have poorer long-term prospects.