Starbucks plans to hire 7,500 staff in major UK expansion plan

Coffee shop chain targets growth north of London with extra 500 outlets in big boost for youth employment

Starbucks has set out plans to hire 7,500 new baristas over the next five years, in a boost to youth employment as the chain pins hopes for future growth on the north of the country.

The US coffee shop chain, which employs more than 18,000 people in the UK, said the hiring spree would focus on the Midlands, north of England, Wales and Scotland, as it targets growth north of the M25.

The roles are expected to staff 500 new coffee shops which Starbucks hopes to open across the country by 2031. The company set out the growth plan earlier this year after shutting dozens of underperforming outlets in Britain last year as part of a $1bn (£750m) global restructuring.

Darren King, who runs Starbucks UK, said: “We’re deeply focused on how we can help more young people into these positions, starting by making entry-level roles as accessible as possible.”

Starbucks is a large youth employer and set out its plan before an official report into the number of young people not in education, employment or training, known as Neets, which hit a record high above 1 million at the start of the year.

The rise in worklessness was dealt a blow in the run-up to the budget last month, as UK employers cut back on hiring amid worries about rising costs and the outlook for the British economy, according to a monthly survey.

The number of people taking up permanent jobs across the UK fell for the first time in four months, according to the latest jobs report from KPMG and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, compiled by S&P Global. Recruitment for temporary roles also fell, for the first time since March.

Jon Holt, the chief executive and UK senior partner of KPMG, said: “October saw employers pull back on hiring in the month leading up to the budget, ending a run of more positive news over recent months. Renewed geopolitical and economic uncertainty weighed on confidence, with further energy price shocks and a global bond sell-off pushing borrowing costs higher.”

Holt added: “Businesses will now be assessing whether the measures announced in the budget give them enough stability to absorb the external pressures and higher costs they face. But with the Bank of England increasing interest rates and inflation set to continue rising over the coming months, there is a risk the green shoots we had been seeing in the jobs market could stall.”

Separate analysis by the Resolution Foundation found that job satisfaction among UK workers is at a record low, amid a lack of flexible working, insecure jobs and a loss of independence.