A recent report from UK women’s charity Smart Works sheds light on the barriers women face when seeking employment.
The Smart Works Unemployment Index, which which gathered insights from 4,912 unemployed women across the country, found that women are less likely to find employment than they have been in the past three years. On average, women faced 38 unsuccessful job applications in 2024 compared to 28 in 2022, with 27 percent of respondents applying for over 50 roles without success.
The report identifies several obstacles contributing to these difficulties, including increasingly demanding application processes, the growing use of artificial intelligence in recruitment, and a highly competitive job market. These challenges have financial and psychological impacts not only on women themselves but also on their families and dependants.
Disproportionate Struggles for Women from Marginalised Groups
The report also found that women from ethnic minorities, women with disabilities, and mothers face greater difficulties in securing employment.
Ethnic minority women were less likely to secure jobs after interviews, with 63 percent offered roles compared to 67 percent of white women. Focus group participants pointed to biases during face-to-face interviews as a key barrier. Similarly, women with disabilities experienced lower success rates, with 61 percent receiving job offers after interviews compared to 65 percent of non-disabled women. A lack of employers willing to make reasonable adjustments was cited as a factor.
For parents, the rising cost of childcare and the limited availability of flexible working roles compounded the challenge of returning to work. For the first time, some women indicated that these issues deterred them from becoming parents altogether.
Ashleigh, a London based 34-year-old who visited Smart Works in 2024, said, “I had the experience and the knowledge. You start to overthink, am I a little bit too old for this? Did they worry that I’m just going to get a job and go on maternity leave?
“I am one of those women that if I was financially stable, me and my partner would love to start a family, but we’re completely priced out of it. And you learn very quickly not to ask direct questions about it, because they won’t hire you if they think [having a family] is what you want.”
Job Application Processes Erode Confidence
The demands of job hunting were found to take a heavy toll on women’s confidence and wellbeing. On average, women spent 25 hours per week on job applications, equivalent to more than three full working days. Among respondents, 34 percent dedicated over 25 hours weekly to the process, up from 26 percent in 2023.
More than one in four women reported that their confidence decreased after going through the application process. This loss of confidence was especially detrimental for women facing prolonged unemployment or repeated rejection.
In response to these findings, the Smart Works report calls for greater transparency in recruitment, reimbursement for interview travel costs, stricter regulations around hiring processes, and collaboration between charities and organisations to support unemployed women.
Smart Works helps unemployed women by providing them with interview dressing and coaching, with 64 percent of its clients securing a job within a month of their appointment.
“But we are one small part of a system which needs to change,” said Smart Works CEO Anna Hemmings. “Everyone has a part to play, and together we can help these women find work, gain agency, and change the trajectory of their lives.”