Britain is plagued by an anti-business mindset

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• Too many young people feel their time in school failed to prepare them for the working world

• The most pressing reason behind youth unemployment is the growth of anti-business sentiment

• Government must stop burdening job creators with ever-higher taxes and troublesome regulations

A recent report by the IPPR has highlighted a crisis facing young people in Britain. Too many feel as though their time spent in school has failed to prepare them for the real working world. But whilst this is an undeniable truth, there is a larger problem at play – the anti-business attitude that has become the norm in Britain. Unless the government leads by example and begins championing businesses as the positive forces they are, the relationship between business and the public will only continue to worsen.

The report paints a worrying picture for Britain. Half of all 18-24 year olds feel as though they are underprepared to enter the world of work, alongside 40% never having undertaken any form of work experience. But with employers constantly wanting candidates with relevant experience, for many young people finding a job can feel like an impossible challenge.

It’s easy to blame laziness. After all, with the normalisation of worklessness up and down the country, more and more young people are simply choosing not to work. But that doesn’t account for the massive increase in those considered not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the last year.

According to ONS statistics, the number of 18-24 year olds who were NEET rose from 829,000 in May 2024 to 923,000 in May 2025. Whilst a culture of worklessness has undoubtedly contributed to this rise, it would be untrue and unhelpful to lay the blame solely on sick-note culture.

Perhaps the most pressing reason behind this attitude amongst young people is the growth of anti-business sentiment. Too often, young people see business as something that is parasitic and harmful, rather than a force for good. The British public holds a pessimistic view of businesses and their activities, an opinion that has been steadily rising for a number of years. In 2024, for instance, only 35% of Britons viewed businesses positively – a far cry from anything that is remotely ‘pro-business’.

Evidently, this signals a much deeper problem. The failure to instil a basic understanding of business: of risk, reward and the positive role that entrepreneurship plays in making people better off has resulted in a generation that is disconnected from the idea that business is the solution, not the problem.

However, the government is doing little to quash these beliefs. Instead, it is imposing anti-business legislation at every opportunity. Simply put, government policy has become increasingly hostile to enterprise. The Employer National Insurance increase and the Employment Rights Bill have both been met with staunch opposition from business leaders across the country, and rightly so. Burdensome tax increases and punitive red tape are by no means a pro-business approach to running the finances of the country.

What the government fails to understand is that when taxes go up on employers, it becomes even harder to take a chance on an unproven worker. When red tape suffocates businesses, internships and apprenticeships are often the first to be cut. No wonder that young people are so pessimistic about business, when the same mindset is being adopted in government. When young people look at our elected politicians, they see that stifling innovation is something to be proud of, not avoided.

If we really want to tackle the NEET crisis for young people, we must do more than encourage them to work. Rather, we must give them something to believe in. That starts with rebuilding the bridge between young people and the private sector. Schools must teach the basics of business and offer meaningful work experience. Politicians must stop demonising wealth creation and start celebrating it. And the government must stop burdening job creators with ever-higher taxes and troublesome regulations.

It’s not enough to tell young people to get a job. Until we have a country that champions business, young people will continue to turn their back on business. The government must be the ones to lead this shift, and help change the mindset of young people up and down the country from one that is anti-business, to one that sees business as a force for good.

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