Brewdog founder James Watt slams Burnham over Neets crisis Politics Brewdog co-founder James Watt has attacked Andy Burnham for “dangerous narratives” around youth joblessness, criticising the government for hiking the cost of employment. The beer tycoon said the Prime Minister is wrong to “blame the system” and should instead cut the cost of hiring workers and “get out of the way”. The Scottish businessman, who [...]
Burnham eyes youth minimum wage rethink as jobs crisis bites Business Andy Burnham’s government is considering slowing planned minimum wage rises for young workers amid concerns that higher employment costs are making businesses more reluctant to hire them. Downing Street and the Treasury are examining whether the rapid increase in wages for under-21s has contributed to Britain’s youth jobs crisis, Bloomberg first reported, as ministers prepare [...]
Giving Neets jobs in hospitality would generate £2.3bn, Hilton claims Hospitality Hilton has urged the government to encourage unemployed young people into hospitality, claiming that filling all the industry’s vacancies would add £2.3bn to the economy. The hotel group, in collaboration with trade body UK Hospitality (UKH), has urged Andy Burnham to lower taxes on hospitality firms to give them the breathing space to take a [...]
Tesco and Boots lead 100,000 jobs pledge to tackle Neets crisis September 8, 2026 Tesco, Boots and dozens of other retailers have pledged to create 100,000 new jobs in a bid to tackle the youth unemployment crisis, which they say is trapping young people in a “doom loop”. A group of top high street firms – which also includes Asda, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer – have joined [...]
Retailers urge Healey to unwind national insurance hike to boost jobs September 3, 2026 Retailers have called on Chancellor John Healey to unwind some of the national insurance reforms made by his predecessor in a bid to tackle the youth joblessness crisis. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, has written to the Chancellor, urging him to unwind “soaring employment costs”. [...]
Neets dip below one million as Labour blamed for youth unemployment August 27, 2026 The number of Neets, who are young people not in employment, education or training, has fallen marginally below the one million mark, the UK’s official data body said. The Office for National Statistics said it estimated the number of people aged between 16 and 24 out of work to be about 981,000 in the three [...]
Top business group urges Healey to cut NICs to ‘solve Neets crisis’ August 25, 2026 One of Britain’s most influential business bodies has urged Chancellor John Healey to cut taxes for employers at the Budget in order to “solve” the crisis facing Neets, who are young people not in employment, education or training. In a report published on Tuesday, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said Britain’s youth unemployment crisis [...]
Jobless Banquet: Youth unemployment surge ‘sends Neets to KFC’ August 18, 2026 A surge in youth unemployment has fuelled the rise of chicken shops across British high streets as young people not in work, education or training – known as Neets – have flocked to fast food, a consultancy has argued. Analysts at Baringa, a consultancy with more than 2,000 employees, have drawn a link between the [...]
Mahmood called for banker bonus tax to fix youth unemployment July 17, 2026 Shabana Mahmood has previously called for a tax on banker bonuses to fix youth unemployment in a move that will renew fears the sector could be targeted for a cash grab. The front-runner to be Andy Burnham’s Chancellor was a staunch supporter of a bill set out by Labour in opposition that sought to levy [...]
Retailers urge Burnham to slash tax and back youth employment July 16, 2026 Retailers have called on Andy Burnham to slash their taxes and help them to employ young people in a raft of demands for the Prime Minister-to-be. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a trade body representing the UK’s biggest retailers, has urged Burnham to “buy into retail” as part of his pledge to back local communities [...]