Starbucks to create 7,500 UK roles north of M25

Starbucks intends to hire 7,500 baristas in the United Kingdom over the next five years.

The company will focus these new positions in the Midlands, northern England, Wales, and Scotland. This strategy targets areas north of the M25 motorway for future expansion. Starbucks currently employs more than 18,000 people across the country.

These roles will support 500 coffee shops planned for opening by 2031. The company outlined this growth plan earlier in 2026. This expansion follows the closure of dozens of underperforming UK outlets in 2025. Those closures were part of a global restructuring program that cost $1 billion, or £750 million.

Darren King, who leads Starbucks in the UK, said the company wants to make entry-level jobs easier for young people to access. The announcement comes just before an official report examines the number of young people outside education, employment, or training. That group, known as Neets, reached a record of more than 1 million at the start of the year.

The hiring push occurs while recruitment across Britain weakens. A monthly survey found employers cut hiring in October ahead of the budget. Concerns over rising costs and the economic outlook drove this decision. This slowdown reversed several months of positive trends in the jobs market.

An employment report from KPMG and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, compiled by S&P Global, showed a decline in permanent job starts. This was the first drop in four months. Hiring for temporary positions also fell, marking the first decrease since March.

Jon Holt, chief executive of KPMG, attributed this retreat to renewed economic and geopolitical uncertainty. He noted that energy price shocks and a global bond sell-off increased borrowing costs and reduced confidence. Holt warned that rising Bank of England interest rates and expected inflation could interrupt recent improvements in the jobs market. Separately, the Resolution Foundation found that worker satisfaction in the UK hit a record low due to insecure employment and reduced independence.