Quarter of Gen Zs consider quitting work as young Brits cite mental health as key reason to go unemployed
17 March 2025, 08:13 | Updated: 17 March 2025, 08:15
One in four Gen Zs have thought about quitting work over the last year, citing mental health as a key reason to go unemployed.
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A survey of more than 4,000 workers from 300 companies in the UK showed 20% of employed people have considered taking an extended leave from work over the last year.
Those under 35 are more likely to consider quitting work, with mental health challenges playing a central role in their decision to leave, the PWC survey found.
It comes as the number of Brits not seeking work or not available to work due to health conditions hit 9.4 million last year, about 22% of working-age adults.
A whopping nine out of ten employers cited concerns over a lack of economic growth, with over half seeing an increase in employees leaving the workplace.
Marco Amitrano, senior partner of PwC UK said businesses were "understandably concerned" about the impacts of productivity and financial performance.
"Much of the current conversation focuses on how to get people outside the workforce back in, equally important is stemming the flow leaving the workforce in the first place," he said.
"Our research shows the path from work to inactivity is not set in stone.
"With 54% of employers actively reconsidering further support to prevent inactivity, it's vital this support is channelled in the most effective way. Guardrails to prevent inactivity need to be part of the framework for UK growth."
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the number of job vacancies pulled back once again, down 9,000 to 819,000 in the three months to January.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting tells Lewis Goodall there is a 'big need' for welfare reform
The UK unemployment rate remained at 4.4% in the three months to December, although at the time the ONS reiterated caution over the statistic due to an overhaul of the nation's jobs survey.
Katie Johnston, PwC's local and devolved government leader, said getting people back into the workforce needed close collaboration with businesses and all levels of government.
"If we are serious about reducing economic inactivity and contributing to the Government's ambition of economic growth, then we need joined-up action not only helping people back into work, but more importantly stemming the flow of people out of the work," she said.
Britain must reform its “broken” welfare system and “get a grip” on the country’s ballooning benefits bill, Rachel Reeves has said.
Reeves declared Britain’s benefits system is “not working for anyone” as tensions grow within the Labour party amid reported plans to slash welfare spending.
The Chancellor told broadcasters last week: "We will set out our plans for welfare reform, but it is absolutely clear that the current system is not working for anyone.
"It is not working for people who need support, it's not working to get people into work so that more people can fulfil their potential, and it's not working for the taxpayer when the bill for welfare is going up by billions of pounds in the next few years.
"So, we do need to get a grip. We need to spend more on national defence, but we need to reform our public services, and we need to reform our broken welfare system."
