Costa Coffee: number of full time employees 2012-2018
Costa staff employed by Whitbread
Costa is owned by hospitality group Whitbread. Although Costa accounts for a large proportion of Whitbread employees, the highest share of people directly employed by Whitbread are as part of the group’s hotel brand, Premier Inn. Premier Inn employees also include restaurant brands operating alongside the hotels. Whitbread directly employs over 52 thousand people on a full-time equivalent basis.
Labor shortages threaten UK hospitality sector
Labor shortages are a major threat to growth and investment for the hospitality industry in the UK. Hospitality employers and industry bodies have been vocal in their concerns regarding the current impact of Brexit on employment within the sector. Over half of hotel and restaurant businesses with hard-to-full vacancies said they relied on recruiting EU nationals to fill vacancies in 2017. The UK hospitality association also warned that jobs in bars and restaurants are at risk due to a rise in business taxation set by the UK government.