Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased National Insurance costs, higher minimum wages and employment costs on entry-level and graduate recruitment.

The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2026 Impact Assessment was published in January 2026. Evidence to date shows little or no significant impact on employment from past increases to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW).

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was also published in November 2024 containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.