NEET

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)社会(しゃかい)全体(ぜんたい)()()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(かよ)(はじ)めた。
I started going to Hello Work (employment agency) to escape being a NEET.

SOCIAL TERM:
NEET (ニート) originated as a UK government term and was adopted in Japan in the mid-2000s. In Japan, it specifically refers to young people (typically ages 15-34) who are not working, studying, or receiving vocational training.

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 TERMS:

  • ()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)

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