'I've applied for more than 400 roles' - how young people are facing the job shortage

More than a million young people in the UK under the age of 25 are currently unemployed and not enrolled in any training programme, raising fears among labour market experts of a permanently disadvantaged “lost generation.” The scale of the challenge facing young jobseekers is underscored by personal accounts from five individuals who describe repeated rejections, systemic barriers and a growing sense of futility as they navigate a labour market that appears increasingly indifferent to their qualifications. The stories highlight how structural shifts—financial constraints, automation and shifting hiring practices—have combined with personal setbacks to trap talented young people in cycles of unemployment that risk scarring their long-term prospects.

Zaynah, a 24-year-old college leaver, has submitted over 200 applications since completing her studies, receiving no responses from employers. After leaving college a year ago, she has pursued roles in make-up and retail, but persistent eczema and limited confidence initially held her back. Following support from the six-week charity scheme Spear, she says she has gained vital interview practice and communication skills, though she remains convinced that her lack of direct experience is the central obstacle. “I feel like it’s because of my lack of experience,” she says. “That’s what’s restricting me and I’m not getting jobs.” Her experience reflects a wider issue: young people often struggle to secure even entry-level roles without prior work history, despite holding relevant qualifications.

Luke, 23, a product design graduate from Central Saint Martins, has applied for more than 400 positions without success. He describes the application process as unnecessarily convoluted, with repetitive online forms that waste time and compound frustration. “You apply, but then the system wants the same information again in a different form,” he says. “You end up redoing everything from scratch.” Luke’s situation reveals a paradox: while graduates are often overqualified for basic roles, they are simultaneously underqualified for the few entry-level positions that remain, many of which have been hollowed out by automation or budget cuts. “The amount of rejections definitely make you depressed,” he says. “It’s humiliating.” His reliance on Universal Credit has further eroded his sense of self-worth, compounding the emotional toll of continuous rejection.

For Tarun, an 18-year-old who had to abandon his plumbing course due to a family bereavement in India, the disruption has left him without direction or income. After returning to the UK, he has struggled to find work despite holding basic vocational training. “When I came back, I didn’t know what to do,” he says. “It’s been like…” His incomplete sentence captures the broader uncertainty felt by many young people whose career trajectories have been derailed by circumstances beyond their control. Labour analysts warn that without targeted interventions—such as paid internships, training subsidies or confidence-building programmes—the risk is not only of short-term unemployment, but of a generation whose skills atrophy and ambitions fade in the face of prolonged exclusion from the labour market.