YOUNG people are set to become a rare breed in the UK workplace, claims a new report.

Authors of The City & Guilds report say that by 2020 just 11 per cent of the workforce will comprise of 16 to 25-year-olds.

Declining birth rates and longer periods in full-time education are seen as the main reasons.

Chris Humphries, director-general of City & Guilds, said: "We have seen over half of British companies have experienced sustained difficulty in recruiting young, skilled staff in the last few years."