People aged under 25: are you still looking for a job after a year of unemployment?

4 hours ago 6

Are you under 25 and still looking for a job after a year of unemployment? If so, we would like to speak to you.

The latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed unemployment increased to 5.2% in the final quarter of 2025, the highest rate since the start of 2021. Young people have been bearing the brunt of this rise, with 16% of those aged 16-24 unemployed, nearly an 11-year-high.

We are looking to speak to a range of young people including university graduates, school leavers who didn’t go on to higher education, those who took up apprenticeships and anyone else in between who has been out of a job, despite looking for work, for 12 months or more.

We are interested in hearing how this long job search has impacted you. How many jobs have you applied for? What are the applications like? How are you surviving in the meantime? What do your friends and family think?

Share your experience

You can tell us about your job search using this form.

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How many jobs have you applied for? What are the applications like?

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How are you surviving in the meantime?

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What do your friends and family think?

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