Young workers get summer jobs but no future

Summer jobs are back but careers are stuck

Young workers get summer jobs but no future

Britain’s summer jobs market is finally bouncing back, with hospitality, tourism and events recruiting again as hot weather and the World Cup boost demand. But behind the seasonal surge lies a much darker jobs picture. Employers are holding onto existing staff while increasingly refusing to risk new permanent hires, leaving the UK trapped in a “low hire, low fire” economy. For young people, the contradiction is stark: they may be able to find a summer job, but the first rung of a long-term career is becoming increasingly difficult to reach.

SUMMER JOBS UP BUT THE REST OF THE JOB MARKET IS STUCK

Hot weather, the World Cup and a packed events calendar have revived the great British summer job but on the other hand new data show the wider jobs market has stalled, blocking young people from getting into work.

The great British summer job has been written off of late. Now it’s bucked that trend and is suddenly back. New figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) show a double‑digit surge in hospitality and tourism hiring, driven by scorching weather, a booming events season and the men’s football World Cup.

After fears in 2025 that seasonal work was disappearing, REC says this year marks the moment “the summer jobs market started to come back”. But behind the sunshine our wider labour market has largely stopped moving.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) warns the UK is now stuck in a “low hire, low fire” economy with the worst hiring outlook outside the pandemic.

THE SUMMER JOB COMEBACK

REC’s labour market tracker shows:

• Seasonal hiring is up sharply compared with summer 2025

• Hospitality, tourism and construction are all recruiting more

• The World Cup boosted retail, food, drink, events and advertising

• Hot weather extended demand for summer staff

• An “Indian summer” could keep jobs going longer than usual

Last year, employers squeezed by costs slashed seasonal hiring, sparking fears that young people were losing one of the easiest routes into work.

This year, the turnaround is real.

But REC warns: “It is not totally straightforward for young people to earn wages just yet.”

Entry‑level jobs still haven’t bounced back to pre‑crisis level.

THE WIDER JOBS MARKET HAS FROZEN

While summer jobs are booming, the rest of the labour market is stagnant.

CIPD’s latest survey of 2,000 employers shows:

• Only 57% of private sector employers plan to hire in the next three months

• The net employment balance is stuck at +9 near its lowest ever

• Redundancies aren’t rising, but hiring isn’t either

• Britain is trapped in a “low hire, low fire” cycle

• Entry‑level progression is blocked

• Talent pipelines are shrinking

• Skills shortages persist in construction, healthcare and social care

CIPD’s senior economist James Cockett says:

“A stagnant labour market closes off routes into work for first-time jobseekers and erodes the talent pipeline organisations rely on.”

For young people, this means the summer job may be back, but the next step up is missing.

WHY THE LABOUR MARKET IS STUCK

Employers are being squeezed by:

• rising employment costs

• higher National Insurance contributions

• wage pressures

• energy costs

• insurance hikes

• economic uncertainty

Many firms are holding onto staff but not expanding creating a labour market that feels frozen.

CIPD is urging Chancellor John Healey to:

• reverse employer NICs hikes

• cancel plans to abolish age‑based wage levels

They argue this would make it easier for businesses to create entry‑level jobs and hire young people.

THE CONTRADICTION AT THE HEART OF THE JOBS MARKET

Seasonal jobs are booming thanks to weather, events and tourism.

Permanent jobs are stagnating thanks to costs, caution and weak confidence.

Young people can get a summer job, but struggle to get a long‑term job.

Employers need people but can’t afford to hire them.

This is the new reality: A lively summer and a frozen labour market.

The Summer job is back

Hospitality, tourism and events are hiring again. Young people finally have more seasonal opportunities. However, the wider labour market is stuck in a “low hire, low fire” freeze blocking progression, limiting entry‑level roles and shrinking the talent pipeline.

Unless the Government tackles employment costs and makes it possible for employers to afford to hire, and makes sure they aren’t too scared of the consequences of getting the employment rules wrong, the UK risks becoming a country where young people can get a summer job, but not a future.