Twenty-seven young migrants are hired for every British youngster as youth worklessness ‘fuelled’ by soaring non-EU immigration, analysis reveals

New research reveals that mass migration is directly fueling the crisis experienced by young people trying to find work.

Young immigrants are three times more likely to find work than young Britons; For every British young person, 27 immigrants from outside the EU are employed.

While the young British workforce has increased by less than one per cent since 2020, the number of non-EU young people on the UK payroll has also increased by 355 per cent over that time, according to research by the Center for Social Justice.

The statements come as Labor was criticized on Thursday for failing to tackle youth unemployment in the UK, which has soared under Keir Starmer.

Alan Milburn, appointed by the government to examine rising unemployment levels, will warn ministers on Thursday that Britain ‘faces the risk of a lost generation’.

The think tank’s research now proves that young immigrants are taking on roles that might otherwise be offered to young Brits.

Between 2024 and 2025, the number of non-EU workers on payroll aged under 25 increased by 33,200, while the number of UK nationals of the same age decreased by 32,200.

This is despite nearly one million 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK not currently in education, employment or training (‘NEET’).

Young immigrants are three times more likely to be employed than young Britons; For every British teenager, 27 immigrants from outside the EU are employed

And the research shows that immigrants are mostly taking up entry-level positions, despite Mr Milburn saying on Thursday that the first rung of the career ladder was ‘completely out of reach’ for young Britons.

For example, between January 2020 and December 2025, positions in retail and hospitality for non-EU workers of all ages almost doubled, while the number of UK nationals in such positions fell by more than a quarter of a million.

Reform Britain’s shadow home secretary, Zia Yusuf, said last night that British workers were ‘being pushed to the back of the queue as mass migration continues’.

He added: ‘Young Brits should be first in line for jobs, training and opportunities in their own country, not forced to compete with record levels of imported labour.’

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘Young Brits are being left out of the labor market as widespread migration into entry-level jobs continues. Mass immigration harms our society, and low-wage immigration is bad for the economy.

‘Labour must go further and allow reform to remain indefinite before the hard left forces them to abandon reform altogether. The window is closing and they know it.

‘The next Conservative Government will introduce a binding annual immigration cap, close loopholes that allow temporary visa holders to stay indefinitely and tighten and expand ILR conditions.

‘We want small numbers of high-skilled immigrants and no low-skilled immigration. But unfortunately Labor doesn’t have the backbone to do any of this.’

Joe Shalam, policy director at the Center for Social Justice, also said: ‘Starter roles are disappearing from the job market and are being made worse by rising costs for employers.

‘Protecting Britain from workforce disruption is an important first step in improving wages, conditions and educational opportunities for British young people.’

The think tank is now calling on ministers to introduce a tax cut of 30 per cent of wages for businesses that hire young people.

It is also proposed to restrict benefits for young people with less serious mental health problems and require employers to advertise vacancies to the UK workforce before offering roles through work visa schemes.