Next boss warns of 'dramatic' fall in entry-level jobs

Next boss warns of 'dramatic' fall in entry-level jobsJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMichael Race,Business reporterandSimon Jack,Business editorBBCThe boss of Next has warned there has been a "dramatic fall" in the number of entry-level job opportunities in the UK.Lord Wolfson told the BBC that just two years ago, Next typically received 10 applicants for every job in its shops, but that number had since risen to 19. "That doubling of applicants for shop jobs is indicative of just how big the crisis is in youth unemployment at the moment," he said.He also said a ban on zero-hours contracts from next year would make hiring more difficult.The government calls such contracts "exploitative" and argues its Employment Rights Act ends "one-sided flexibility", making companies provide a "baseline" of security and predictability for staff.Conservative peer Lord Wolfson also called on the government to reverse its hike in the rate employers have to pay in National Insurance, along with minimum wage rises. But he said economic growth was the main solution to boosting the jobs market."Youth unemployment is really a symptom of wider problems with employment in the economy, and of course, if you've got fewer jobs, the people who suffer most are the people with the least experience and that is the youngest," the chief executive said.A Treasury spokesperson said increasing the national minimum wage boosted pay for more than 200,000 young workers, and pointed out that employer national insurance contributions were lower when hiring under-21s."Cutting wages for the lowest paid during a time of global uncertainty is not the answer," the spokesperson said, adding a £2.5bn youth employment support package would "deliver a million opportunities across the country".A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson, who pointed out the Next boss was paid £7m last year, said the governm...