A surge in youth unemployment has been linked to the rise of chicken shops across British high streets, according to analysts at Baringa. The consultancy suggests that young people not in work, education, or training, known as Neets, have increasingly turned to fast food options.
Baringa analysts have termed this trend the “Chicken Wing Economy,” noting that the annual growth of fast food restaurants has outpaced traditional sit-down establishments by approximately five times between 2018 and 2025. This coincides with a rise in the youth unemployment rate, which has climbed from 10.9 per cent in 2017 to 16.2 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics. The ONS estimates the number of Neets at over a million.
Economists have attributed the increase in youth unemployment to factors including a Labour government decision to raise taxes on businesses by over £25bn through increased employers’ national insurance contributions. Higher costs for firms, along with a rise in the national minimum wage and workers' rights regulations, have also added pressure, preventing a bounce back in jobs, the ONS stated on Tuesday.
The fast-food chicken market in the UK is projected to exceed £5bn by 2029, according to Baringa's modelling. This follows a 2022 Mintel estimate that the chicken outlet market was worth about £2.3bn.