BBC News
By Katy Austin
media captionRishi Sunak: 'We’re throwing absolutely everything at it'
Fewer than 2,000 young people have so far started new roles under the government's £2bn Kickstart jobs scheme, data shows.
The programme, which launched in September, has created 120,000 temporary jobs to date.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the BBC coronavirus restrictions were making it harder for more young people to get started.
However, he expected the number to rise once restrictions are lifted.
"Obviously because of the lockdowns and restrictions, that hampers businesses' ability to bring people into work," said Mr Sunak,
"What we can look forward to, as the restrictions ease, is more of these young people starting those placements.