ニート

にーと

noun

NEET; person not in education, employment, or training

1. NEET; person not in education, employment, or training

acronym for 'Not in Education, Employment, or Training'; a young person (typically 15-34) who is unemployed, not in school, and not receiving job training; became widely used in Japan in the 2000s

息子(むすこ)がニートになった。

My son became a NEET.

ニート問題(もんだい)は社会(しゃかい)全体(ぜんたい)で取(と)り組(く)むべきだ。

The NEET problem should be addressed by society as a whole.

ニートから脱出(だっしゅつ)するためにハローワークに通(かよ)い始(はじ)めた。

I started going to Hello Work (employment agency) to escape being a NEET.

From the English acronym NEET, a UK government term adopted in Japan in the mid-2000s. Japanese statistics use it for people aged 15-34 who are not working, studying or doing housework, and are not looking for work.

Common collocations

ニートになる - to become a NEET
ニートから脱出(だっしゅつ)する - to stop being a NEET
ニート問題(もんだい) - the NEET problem
ニート対策(たいさく) - countermeasures for NEETs

Related words

引(ひ)きこもり - social withdrawal (often overlaps but distinct)
フリーター - part-time job hopper
無職(むしょく) - unemployed (more general term)

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While NEET is sometimes used casually or jokingly online, it can carry negative connotations and should be used carefully in formal contexts.

Related Words

Compare: 引(ひ)きこもり (social withdrawal)

Compare: フリーター (part-time job hopper)

Related: 無職(むしょく) (unemployed)

Compare: 無職者(むしょくしゃ) (unemployed person)

general

Added 2026.1.28 13:46 · Revised 2026.9.28 22:10

08500/08752_niito