Marks & Spencer (M&S) has urged the UK government to work more closely with businesses to help young people into work, even as new research shows that retail is currently the sector employing the most 16–24-year-olds.
The research, conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of M&S, found that one in four young people are starting their careers in retail—more than double the total in any other sector.
M&S is advocating for measures such as Employer National Insurance Contributions relief for businesses hiring the long-term unemployed or young people struggling to find work. In collaboration with The Jobs Foundation, the retailer suggests such a move could create over 100,000 jobs. The company also called for reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy, allowing more funds paid by businesses to support training opportunities.
Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, said the company had already supported more than 12,000 young people through its Marks & Start programme and was committed to helping a further 2,000 over the next three years. He added that retail offers young people opportunities across a wide range of roles—from stores and supply chains to food, fashion, and finance—and can provide responsibility and career growth regardless of background.
Marks & Start, launched over 20 years ago with The King’s Trust, provides four-week work experience placements, helping participants build employability skills and confidence. This year, the programme recorded its highest five-year completion and job offer rates, with 91% completing the scheme and 88% offered a permanent paid role.
Highlighting the role of mental health, the research found 28% of young people report it as a barrier to applying for jobs. M&S has worked with the mental health charity YoungMinds to adapt its training materials, providing wraparound support for participants with mental health challenges. Since the partnership began two years ago, M&S has raised over £4.4 million, benefiting more than six million young people.
This month, M&S also partnered with careers podcast My Duvet Flip, reaching 1.8 million listeners, to showcase stories of young people who began their careers at M&S.
Machin described retail as a “powerful engine of social mobility,” providing young people, especially those facing barriers, with critical first career opportunities.
The research also revealed that there are currently 948,000 young people not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET), the highest level in a decade. Additionally, the number of employed 16–24-year-olds is 650,000 fewer than three decades ago, while long-term sickness, particularly mental health issues, has increased economic inactivity among this age group by 300,000 since 2019, a 55% rise from pre-pandemic levels.
