‘I’m scared about my future’: young people on the stress and desperation of jobseeking

The article follows four young Britons as job hunting and difficult working conditions take a toll on their mental and physical health. Their accounts show how prolonged uncertainty, repeated rejection and limited support can leave young people feeling shut out of work and anxious about their futures.

Celeste, 24, applied for more than 100 jobs after graduating, mostly waitressing roles, before illness forced her to leave work and move back in with her parents. She is awaiting an ME/CFS diagnosis, while her personal independence payment appeal could take up to 18 months. Lenny, 26, has been unemployed for three years after leaving a customer assistant job for mental health reasons; he says applications have become less personal as recruitment has moved online. The article is the second in a series following eight young people seeking work.