More than seven in 10 teens and young adults in the UK say they wish they were not starting their careers in the current economic climate, according to new research from the King’s Trust.
The study also found that more than a quarter of people aged 16 to 25 feel they are going to fail in life, highlighting growing anxiety among those entering the labour market.
Jonathan Townsend, the UK chief executive of the King’s Trust, said: “This new research shows young people today are deeply concerned about their job prospects and futures, particularly those already facing the greatest barriers.”
According to the YouGov survey of 4,097 people, 73% of respondents were acutely anxious about their future careers and concerned there would not be enough jobs for people like them.
The research, sponsored by the retailer TK Maxx, was published on Tuesday in the charity’s social impact report, 50 Years of Working for Young People.
The report showed that young people’s economic uncertainty is compounded by their concerns about technology. “The proportion of young people worried about the impact of artificial intelligence on their future job security has risen by 10 percentage points in the past year, reaching 59%,” Townsend said.
“We found young people expressing deep fears about how AI, alongside weak job availability and economic instability, is going to affect their long-term employment prospects,” he added.
Barry Fletcher, the chief executive of the Youth Futures Foundation, said the survey was “a helpful but concerning snapshot of how young people are feeling about their future opportunities”.
The study found that a significant majority of respondents felt ill prepared and ill at ease about the labour market they were entering. Three in five said they were unprepared for employment, while 64% believed most entry-level roles were insecure.
One quarter said they did not have the qualifications required for the career they wanted, while 28% said they lacked the necessary work experience.
The survey also found evidence of declining job availability at a local level, with 31% of young people saying that a lack of job opportunities in their area was the biggest barrier to achieving their career goals. This was 7% higher than in the equivalent survey last year.
The concerns of those surveyed reflect national data showing about 12.5% of people aged 16 to 24 in the UK – approximately 925,000 young people – were not in education, employment or training (Neet) last year.
Separate analysis suggests the UK is underperforming internationally on youth employment outcomes. The accounting firm PwC ranked the UK 27th out of 38 OECD countries in its Youth Employment Index 2025, citing relatively high Neet rates and weaker transitions from education into work compared with peer nations.
It estimated the elevated youth inactivity was associated with significant long-term economic costs.
The King’s Trust said its findings were indicative of a generation entering adulthood amid sustained economic uncertainty, rapid technological change and constrained job growth. It said this had measurable effects on confidence, preparedness and future expectations.
“Concerns about employment prospects are inextricably linked to wellbeing,” Townsend said.
The work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, responded to the survey saying: “Our youth guarantee and £1.5bn investment, backed by leading employers, will create genuine opportunities for young people to earn, learn and gain valuable work experience.
“We’re backing the next generation because when they succeed, Britain succeeds.”
