Hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes and pubs often offer the first experience of work for many young people, with the industry employing 28% of all 18 to 20-year-olds, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
However, those openings are disappearing: on Thursday, a damning report found job opportunities for young people were shrinking, with its author, former Labour minister Alan Milburn, saying the UK was “at risk of a lost generation”.
The review came as official figures revealed more than one million young people were not in education, employment or training – the highest level in more than 12 years.
Following Milburn’s report, the government said it was creating 300,000 work experience and training placements in sectors including construction, health and social care and hospitality.
Treasury minister Torsten Bell told the BBC’s Today programme that the rates of employing aged 18 to 25-year-olds were “exactly the same as when we took office in 2024”, but admitted higher taxes was having an impact.
The figures add to growing concerns over the number of young people not being able to secure a job in the UK.
Allen Simpson, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said the solution to the problem was to reduce the cost of employment for businesses.
“The government needs to make it economically beneficial to employ young people once again.”
Rogan said when “when restaurants are under pressure,” “investing in youngsters and sustainability, they’re the first two things that fall by the wayside.”
Food author Ottolenghi said there should be a public debate about “what we’re losing” through restaurants closing.
“The risk for me is if those go… we’re just going to kind of become a society where people sit around at home, look at screens and never interact with each other.
“We end up as an industry taking so much of the burden and government lays on more taxes. Those could come down quite easily for us because we employ all these young people and we give them skills.”
