UK firms flag over $1.2 bln in labour costs from increase in national insurance, wages
Adds companies, updates total cost in paragraph 1 and headline
Nov 27 (Reuters) -British companies have flagged an increase of 973.5 million pounds ($1.23 billion) in labour costsrelated to a rise in employers' social security contributions and minimum wages followingFinance Minister Rachel Reeves' maiden budget in October.
They also expect the increase in National Insurance Contributions (NIC) and the minimum wages to fuel inflation.
Here's what some companies across sectors have said so far:
RETAILERS
British retailerPets at Home Group PETSP.L said it expected costs to rise by about 18 million pounds in fiscal 2026 due to increased NIC.
British bicycle and car products retailer Halfords Group HFD.L forecast its future costs to increase by around 23 million pounds in fiscal 2026 due to higher employer social security contributions.
Tile retailer Topps Tiles TPT.L said it estimated a 4 million pound cost impact on an annual basis from April 2025, out of which 2 million would impact the 2025 financial year.
Home improvement retailer Kingfisher KGF.L, which employs more than 78,000 people, said the increase in NIC would cost it about 31 million pounds in fiscal 2025/26.
British supermarket chain Sainsbury's SBRY.L, which employs around 150,000 people, said it was facing headwinds of 140 million pounds from the national insurance change.
Marks & Spencer MKS.L said the national insurance increase would cost it around 60 million pounds in its next financial year, which starts in April. A 6.7% rise in minimum wage will add another 60 million pounds.
Asda, Britain's third-largest supermarket, said the national insurance change would cost it 100 million pounds next year and warned it would "probably be inflationary to some degree".
Primark-owner Associated British Foods ABF.L said the national insurance change would cost the clothing retailer, which employs 40,000 people in the UK, "tens of millions" of pounds, though the rise in the minimum wage was anticipated.
Kitchen and joinery retailer Howden Joinery HWDN.L said the expected annualised cost impact of higher contributions to employers' national insurance and the increase in the national minimum wage was around 18 million pounds.
LOGISTICS
International Distribution Services IDSI.L, the owner of Royal Mail, which employs nearly 130,000 people in Britain, said changes to the NIC will cost around 120 million pounds a year.
TELECOM
BT BT.L, an employer of more than 100,000 people, said the NIC change would increase its costs by close to 100 million pounds next year, about 0.5% of its total cost base.
PUBS & RESTAURANTS
Pub group Mitchells & ButlersMAB.L flagged the NIC change to increase its cost to 23 million per annum. It also said the minimum wage hike would add another 42 million annually.
JD Wetherspoon JDW.L, a major British pub operator that employs more than 40,000 people, said its annual costs would increase by about 60 million pounds in 2025, with its NIC rising by an estimated two-thirds.
British pub group Young & Co's Brewery YNGa.L, which employs about 7,700 people, warned that rising NIC and minimum wages will increase its annual costs by about 11 million pounds, starting April.
HOMEBUILDERS
Persimmon PSN.L expects costs from a hike in national insurance to be about 5 million pounds over the next year.
Vistry VTYV.L also estimated a 5-million-pound impact in fiscal year 2025 from the increase in employer NIC.
OUTSOURCERS
Serco Group SRP.L said the UK government's national insurance tax changes would increase its direct labour costs by around 20 million pounds per year and that it was exploring ways to offset these costs.
Mitie Group MTO.L expects NIC-related costs to be about 60 million pounds, but the company estimates that it would be able to recover 35 million pounds of those costs through contractual recoveries and commercial negotiations in fiscal 2026.
SERVICE PROVIDERS
Office services provider Restore Plc RSTP.L which employs nearly 2,700 people, said it estimates about 3 million pounds in costs from the NIC change and minimum wage hike.
Veterinary services provider CVS Group CVSG.L, which employs more than 8,800 people, said it estimates a cost impact of about 8 million pounds in 2026 from the NIC changes.
British rail industry services provider Tracsis TRCS.L also said the NIC change and minimum wage increase are expected to impact 2025 core profit by about 500,000 pounds.
Legal and professional services provider Knights Group KGHK.L said it expects an annual cost impact of about 2 million pounds in fiscal 2026due to the NIC increase.
Business recovery and property services consultancy Begbies Traynor BEG.L estimates the NIC changes to increase employment costs by about 1.25 million pounds per annum.
British legal and professional services groupGateley GTLY.L said it was expecting the NIC changes to impact its costs by about 1.8 million pounds in fiscal 2026.
Equipment rental specialist VP Plc VP.L said it estimated the NIC and wage hikes would cost the group about 4 million pounds in the next financial year.
Specialist property services provider Kinovo KINO.L said it expected a cost of impact of about 500,000 pounds from the NIC and wage increase.
CHEMICALS
British chemicals maker Johnson Matthey JMAT.L said the impact of the increase in UK employers' NIC on the group would be in about the mid-single digit millions.
MANUFACTURER
Genuit Group GENG.L expects the NIC and minimum wage hikes to add nearly 5 million pounds to its cost base in 2025.
Structural steel companySeverfield SFR.L said it estimates the NIC hike to increase costs by 2 million pounds per annum starting fiscal 2026.
MEDIA FIRM
Media production firm Zinc Media ZIN.L expects the NIC changes to increase its cost base by about 400,000 pounds annually.
(Source: Company announcements, Reuters reporting)
($1 = 0.7903 pounds)
Reporting by Prerna Bedi, DhanushVignesh Babu and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar, Shinjini Ganguli, Shounak Dasgupta and Anil D'Silva
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