ONE in 4 job-seekers says that a insecurity and self-esteem is holding back their possibilities of finding employment, and a cycle of constant rejections is worsening their mental health, Christians Against Poverty (CAP) says.
The charity says barriers of low confidence and self-worth are further locking many individuals out of the job market, in an already difficult time of reducing vacancies and growing unemployment.
The charity’s conclusions are drawn from interviews with its Job Club participants and a survey by Savanta of 2111 adults, and an additional survey of 1005 unemployed adults.
Figures published last week indicate that the UK’s unemployment rate hit a five-year high within the last three months of 2025, climbing to five.2 per cent, and that the unemployment rate for the 16-24s rose to 16.1 per cent, probably the most for a decade.
CAP, which offers free job clubs in partnership with churches, published its Barriers to Work report on Wednesday, the range of issues stopping success amongst job-seekers.
The report says that one quarter are affected by insecurity, and that around nine million adults say that they’ve made greater than ten job applications previously 12 months and been unsuccessful in all of them. Almost half of the survey sample, 49 per cent, said that being out of labor was affecting their mental health and that depression and anxiety were then making it hard for them to get into work.
One of CAP’s clients, Amy, said: “After losing my job at a nursery, I used to be left paying high bills all on just £500 a month from Universal Credit. I often went days without eating, as going without food was the one ‘reasonably priced’ thing to chop.
“Losing my job had completely destroyed my self-worth. The CAP Job Club was incredibly welcoming, and it was the primary place where people actually saw my strengths. It helped me realise I do have price and that somebody cares about my success. The sessions gave me the arrogance to use for jobs again. I now work full-time.”
People reported not believing they’d the proper skills to achieve access to employment, and fearing that the talents they did have could be replaced by artificial intelligence in the subsequent few years.
Physical ill-health and age were also reported to be barriers to gaining work. CAP found that age was reported to be a barrier by 40 per cent of the 18-24s and of the 55-64s alike.
