The boss of pub chain Fuller's has stated that the financial incentive to hire young people over experienced workers has disappeared. Simon Emeny, executive chairman of Fuller's, explained that increases in the National Living Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds have made it more practical to recruit individuals who already possess the necessary skills.
“If there is a choice between someone with experience and someone without, you can lean towards the experience,” Mr Emeny told the Mirror. He added that a job market increasingly favoring employers has made this choice easier. While Fuller's continues to hire young recruits, the cost of employing an 18 to 20-year-old has risen by 60% over the past four years. “It is self-inflicted,” he said. “It has been caused by the government putting up the cost of employment.”
These comments come amid growing concern about youth unemployment. Between January and March 2026, 729,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were unemployed, an increase of 110,000 from the previous year. The youth unemployment rate rose to 16.2%, up from 14.2%.
A recent report by former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn warned that Britain risks a “lost generation,” with fears that 1.25 million young people could be out of work, training, or education within five years. In response, over 80 of Britain’s largest retail bosses have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, arguing that government policies are making it harder to hire young people.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said retailers are being priced out of hiring young people due to government taxes and red tape. The letter, coordinated by the BRC, urges the government to take urgent action, including reducing the cost of employing young people, to “turn around the fortunes of young people everywhere.”
Signatories include senior executives from Aldi, Amazon, Asda, B&Q, Currys, Dunelm, Fortnum & Mason, HMV, JD Sports, the John Lewis Partnership, Morrisons, Mountain Warehouse, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Specsavers, and Tesco. The letter notes that the retail sector employs nearly three million people and supports millions more in its supply chains.
It states: “As leading employers, we are concerned the ladder of opportunity for young people is wobbling. It’s more expensive than ever to bring in young talent, and new Employment Rights Act changes are making managing our workforce more complicated when we need it to be simpler. This is putting pressure on employers’ ability to drive social mobility.”
The sector has outlined three key priorities: establishing a joint taskforce to simplify and improve youth employment support, reducing the cost of employing young people, and ensuring employment and skills reforms encourage entry-level recruitment and progression.
Anthony Hemmerdinger, senior vice president and managing director at Boots UK and Ireland, said: “I’m passionate about the role the retail industry can play in supporting youth employment and social mobility. As someone who started my career in retail at 16 working in stores, I know just how important retailers are in providing young people with opportunities to experience the world of work and build their confidence and skills. With a supportive government policy framework, we could offer even more opportunities to young people in the future.”
