The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed statistics showing that more than 40 per cent of new retail employees taken on in the last year have been aged between 16 and 21.
The BRC carried out a survey among its members, which are responsible for employing more than a million people in retail nationally.
The results showed that at least 13,500 people aged under 21 obtained new jobs in the sector, which equates to 42 per cent of all new jobs since September 2010.
It also emerged that the same percentage of employed 16 and 17-year-olds work in retail, as do 40 per cent of those aged 18 and 19, and 25 per cent of those aged 20 to 24.
BRC director general Stephen Robertson said: "We've produced clear and detailed evidence that retail is one of the sectors most likely to give young people the job breaks they need.
"The August riots were blamed by some on growing frustration among that generation. School and college leavers are facing an incredibly tough time getting into work. Retail found itself in the frontline of the attacks, [which is] ironic when it's actually in the frontline of the solution."
