By Daniel Hunter
New research from totaljobs.com has found that 40% of young people are not confident of having a job in the next six months and one in four young jobseekers do not think they will find a job in the next year.
Despite this, 58% of 16 to 24 year olds spend two hours or less on job applications, whilst the national average is 2.5 hours per application. The lack of time spent paints a picture of a demoralised young workforce, with over two thirds (68%) of 16 to 24 year olds stating that they frequently apply for jobs for which they are overqualified.
The findings comes as youth unemployment remains high, with the number rising by 9,000 and the number of young people in work falling by 77,000 to 2.6 million from February to April this year.
Mike Fetters, Future Talent Director of totaljobs.com said: “The UK jobs market is still very competitive, particularly for 16 to 24 year olds and these statistics suggest that many young jobseekers are dismayed by the lack of job opportunities and finding it hard to motivate themselves when applying for jobs and preparing for interviews.
“There simply aren’t enough positions available for young people at the moment so jobseekers in this age group must make the most of their qualifications, experience and contacts. They must be assured that confidence and success will come with sustained dedication and preparation when trying to get a job.”
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