UK's Youth Jobs Plan: £5.1 Billion for Just 38,000 Jobs

A proposed National Insurance cut for workers under 25 would cost British taxpayers £5.1 billion yearly while creating only 38,000 jobs, the Resolution Foundation found in June 2026. That works out to £134,000 per job. The real problem: much of the benefit goes to employers who'd hire young workers anyway, meaning money is wasted rather than targeting workers who truly need help.