Their responses painted a picture of a job market where hundreds of candidates vied for every role, highly trained graduates struggled to find well-paid work and applicants were routinely rejected for roles they were qualified for and those they were overqualified for.
Many of those looking for work noted a sharp downturn in advertised jobs and responses to applications since last summer, particularly for roles in design, entertainment, marketing, HR and IT.
In his search for permanent positions matching his seniority level, Winn has primarily come across vaguely defined piecemeal work opportunities on a freelance basis and in much more junior positions.
“This is the worst I’ve ever experienced in the job market, including the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, which also left me unemployed for a time, and the pandemic,” said David Hoghton-Carter, 46, a corporate strategy professional from Leeds.
Despite hopes that gaining a degree would lead to well-paid work, many graduates said they had been forced to take low-paying or part-time positions.
