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To think we need to start talking about the lack of jobs?

596 replies

Newmeagain · 27/06/2026 21:57

This is prompted by quite a few threads I have read recently, from parents of young people looking for jobs or posters themselves struggling with finding a job.

I feel like a lot of responses are completely out of touch and people are not aware how hard it is right now. There are no “supermarket jobs” etc that you can just pick up.

I think this is having a particularly significant impact on school leavers and graduates looking for their first full time job, students wanting part time work and also anyone over 50 who suddenly finds themselves unemployed.

OP posts:
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samthepigeon · 28/06/2026 08:43

Nowisthetimeforicecream · 28/06/2026 07:40

There seems to be a fairly large population of people who apply for stuff just to keep the job center happy, then either don't turn up for for interviews (so much time wasted), turn up with the intention of not getting the job etc. It seems to be that there is a core of about 10% serious applicants and 90% are just on the application merry go round to keep the job seekers allowance being paid.

There was a programme about this the other day. They just bang out a standard, unadapted application letter, to fulfil requirements for benefits, with no desire to get the job.

MikeRafone · 28/06/2026 08:41

Nowisthetimeforicecream · 28/06/2026 08:36

That's down to Government incompetence. If you just reduce waiting lists by removing the dead people rather than treating anyone you don't need as many staff.

Its absolutely down to government incompetence, not someone doing a degree that doesn't fit industry needs

samthepigeon · 28/06/2026 08:41

Dorothyperky · 28/06/2026 07:28

@tilypu my trainee forensic psychologist DD had to work as a cleaner last summer. It was the only job she could get.

Is there a big shortfall of forensic psychologists? I have literally no idea.

MikeRafone · 28/06/2026 08:40

It’s also fair to acknowledge that many roles in sectors such as hospitality, retail care etc are now filled by people who have moved to the UK from overseas. There’s nothing wrong with that per say, but it is part of a wider picture and it is absolutely not ‘racist’ to point it out.

Where are you getting your "many" from?

Cos I have it at 25% of those particular sectors, which is leaving 75% as British born. NHS is 20% leaving 80% British born

Nowisthetimeforicecream · 28/06/2026 08:36

MikeRafone · 28/06/2026 08:31

52% of graduate doctors unable to get work

There are a few reasons this is happening, but we do need doctors and they have studied for 5 years thinking they would get a job in the uk at the end of it - but instead are unemployed

That's down to Government incompetence. If you just reduce waiting lists by removing the dead people rather than treating anyone you don't need as many staff.

MrsClattenburg · 28/06/2026 08:35

Also, people say their kids and their friends all have jobs in supermarkets/McDonald's/KFC when they were 16-18 and have been there ever since, transferring between their home town and Uni city.

And this is where the difference is - a year or two ago, the jobs were there and those who got one have kept it. Just 12 or 18 months later and the picture is so, so different and a job in McDonald's is a pipe dream.

OneUniqueSquid · 28/06/2026 08:34

TheYorkshirePudding · 28/06/2026 08:23

I think part of it is going to uni and coming out with, say, a first class degree in English Literature, and then wondering why you can’t get a £60k job straightaway - those type of degrees aren’t guaranteeing a job. Apprenticeships also pay very little. I’m not sure what the answer is

That's another valid point.

I remember in a previous job ten years ago our two admin staff complaining they had low-paid admin jobs when they had degrees. The degrees? theology and music.

InNeedOfAbleph · 28/06/2026 08:34

For a start those ridiculous multi choice scenarios need to be banned from from applications (particularly coffee places seem to include them ) it has caused my autistic dd so many issues and she never even gets an interview despite being an amazing barista and being available to work full time. I imagine it’s the same for a lot of SEN applicants

MikeRafone · 28/06/2026 08:31

Nowisthetimeforicecream · 28/06/2026 08:25

Maybe shaping degree courses to meet industry need rather than 3 years studying story books.

52% of graduate doctors unable to get work

There are a few reasons this is happening, but we do need doctors and they have studied for 5 years thinking they would get a job in the uk at the end of it - but instead are unemployed

samthepigeon · 28/06/2026 08:31

Goatsarebest · 28/06/2026 00:33

One of the significant issues is that overqualified people assume they should be attractive to employers who don't need their qualifications, as you state here. Why should they be. A degree or whatever, is not important to certain jobs and having one doesn't make you more attractive to employ. In fact it is is probably going to be more difficult.
We need to move away from ' I have a degree but can't get even get a job at, wherever' you can't get a job because your skill base is not what they want. Degrees, first class degrees, intern at a top 4 accountants, work experience in Berlin, are actually not what every employer looks for. Maybe compete in your chosen field of law, or computing science, or whatever, instead of trying to compete in a field you are not suitable for.
Non degree people don't say 'it's terrible, I can't even get a job as a solicitor' do they. They get on with the jobs they are suitable for and do them well

In the 1980s, 15% of people went to uni; in the 1990s, it was 30%. Today it is 50%. Perhaps we don't need that many graduates? Young people are turning away from the uni route, which may well land them with lots of debt and no job.

Nelliemellie · 28/06/2026 08:31

Indian visa holders have to pay a NHS surcharge of 1035 pounds upfront as part of their application every year even if they don’t use the nhs, this is a nice earner for the government.

OneUniqueSquid · 28/06/2026 08:31

HoskinsChoice · 28/06/2026 08:20

You're wasting your time. I also reported it yesterday but, like sexism, homophobia, transphobia and general bigotry, racism is perfectly acceptable on Mumsnet.

What's racist about saying there are a lot of Indian workers in the UK?

It's fact. Look at the gov.uk websites and look at ethnicity of workers.

About a million Indian-born workers working in the UK when there are about 34 million population in work means they represent almost 3% of the entire workforce. And when we know that different ethnic groups have higher populations depending on area, that's a lot more Indian workers in say Birmingham than in Cornwall so there's higher concentrations so more visibility.

People need to stop yelling 'racist' and actually do some research first.

NinjaCoffee · 28/06/2026 08:30

Labour hasn’t helped the situation. Vacancies are still ‘needed’, but many employers are hiring more cautiously because the cost of employing people, particularly for small businesses, has risen significantly - minimum wage these days is high!

It’s also fair to acknowledge that many roles in sectors such as hospitality, retail care etc are now filled by people who have moved to the UK from overseas. There’s nothing wrong with that per say, but it is part of a wider picture and it is absolutely not ‘racist’ to point it out.

I also think we need to acknowledge why this is needed - I honestly think a lot, not all, but a lot of young British people these days don’t want to do jobs such as care etc, a lot of them feel they deserve more without the experience and these jobs are below them.

XiCi · 28/06/2026 08:30

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Its actually you that have come across as rude Goatsarebest. I was quite taken aback by all of your comments. To call out someone else's post as rude shows a spectacular lack of self awareness.

madosaurus · 28/06/2026 08:28

Funkylights · 27/06/2026 22:57

Care homes and early years need people. As do construction., In my area very hard to get a gardener or cleaner. Or other trades

I always see carers and early years as options for people who say there aren’t any jobs around.

Really? You think that anyone can be a carer looking after very vulnerable people? Same with looking after young children?

MikeRafone · 28/06/2026 08:28

roses2 · 27/06/2026 22:10

DH has been unemployed for two years now. 75% of the interviews he's had he's got through to final round only for the job (tech consulting) to be pulled - it's heartbreaking.

Edited

Is he only looking for one type of job? Has he got another filler type job to keep him going until he finds something in his line of work?

samthepigeon · 28/06/2026 08:28

Retail was always an easy way into the jobs market for young people. Online shopping has changed that, along with self-checkouts. There is work out there, but you do have to be tenacious. Minimum wages are being subsidised by benefits so I don't have an issue with wages rising so benefit costs can fall - the tax payer should not be subsidising companies who don't pay workers enough to live on, and certainly didn't used to happen in the past. Lots of young people (and others) are now being entrepreneurial - they do gardening/cleaning/cake baking/tutoring etc, and working for yourself is so much easier now you can advertise online.

Nowisthetimeforicecream · 28/06/2026 08:25

TheYorkshirePudding · 28/06/2026 08:23

I think part of it is going to uni and coming out with, say, a first class degree in English Literature, and then wondering why you can’t get a £60k job straightaway - those type of degrees aren’t guaranteeing a job. Apprenticeships also pay very little. I’m not sure what the answer is

Maybe shaping degree courses to meet industry need rather than 3 years studying story books.

XelaM · 28/06/2026 08:24

My 16-year-old just got a job in a kids' softplay centre. She just emailed her CV to the email address on their page and got invited for an interview, then a trial day and then got the job. We're in London though, so may be more jobs around here for teens.

TheYorkshirePudding · 28/06/2026 08:23

I think part of it is going to uni and coming out with, say, a first class degree in English Literature, and then wondering why you can’t get a £60k job straightaway - those type of degrees aren’t guaranteeing a job. Apprenticeships also pay very little. I’m not sure what the answer is

Nowisthetimeforicecream · 28/06/2026 08:22

Itsjustafly · 28/06/2026 08:18

Outsourcing to India is going through a resurgence in my industry. 50% of the European roles at my company are being made redundant with the workload being transferred to India. All skilled jobs.

In the first wave it wasn't it mainly lower skill roles, call centers and backoffice, now increasing it is the high skill professional services that are being outsourced. It makes sense in world where everything is virtual anyway.

HoskinsChoice · 28/06/2026 08:20

Franjipanl8r · 28/06/2026 08:12

Reported.

You're wasting your time. I also reported it yesterday but, like sexism, homophobia, transphobia and general bigotry, racism is perfectly acceptable on Mumsnet.

OneUniqueSquid · 28/06/2026 08:19

Whodunnit508 · 28/06/2026 06:23

What a load of nonesense.
if anything I’ve seen people of a retirement age doing entry level jobs (which perhaps in the past would be done by young people, i.e. supermarkets etc) possibly to top up their state pension to be able to survive

There are almost a million Indian- born individuals employed in the UK. The largest overseas working group in the UK.

So of course it's not 'nonsense' that people are seeing a lot of Indian workers.

Itsjustafly · 28/06/2026 08:18

LittleGreenShoots · 27/06/2026 22:20

Do you mean like outsourced call centres to India? Because the push for that was ages ago. I think lots have moved back here now too as people weren't keen.

If you mean Indians working here in the UK the ones have come across are in pretty technical and skilled jobs- dentists, finance, IT, law, actuarial. They are smart and ambiguous and very hard working. India is a safe country, people aren't emigrating here unless they are from middle class to higher backgrounds with a good education behind them. They might be shelf stacking alongside their studies but they'd have the same chances at interview as any other student.

Edited

Outsourcing to India is going through a resurgence in my industry. 50% of the European roles at my company are being made redundant with the workload being transferred to India. All skilled jobs.

YouBelongWithMe · 28/06/2026 08:17

RoyalIris · 28/06/2026 01:24

For those with late teens getting part time jobs like in a pharmacy, how are they getting them? Responding to adverts? Wandering in? Or do you know someone?

re: the car parking, the stewards at events near me are volunteers… this is also something more common. The Saturday job I started on at 14 in the 80s is now a voluntary position…

My DD is 16 and works 8h a week in a pharmacy. She applied for the role on Indeed. Well, she applied for a role with the company on Indeed but the role disappeared, but they called her back with a more local and suitable position. It's actually wasted on her as she has no interest in pharmacology or the field post-school, but the hours and location are excellent.

She was also offered a job at a trampoline centre and in IKEA, all applied for through Indeed or the company's own recruitment page of their website.