A145 The expression NEET stands for not in education, employment or training. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare uses the term jakunen-mugyosha (young unemployed people) to describe such individuals between the ages of 15 and 34 who are not homemakers or ineducation. They increased from 400,000 in 1993 to 640,000 in 2002, since when their number has largely remained steady. But there is concern that the percent-age of older people in this group is increasing.