Man applies for 80 jobs in two months, with no success

Joe Burgess, 25, worked for a shipping firm in Felixstowe for two-and-a-half years before he was made redundant

The reality for some young people looking for a job has been highlighted by a case in Suffolk where a young man has applied for 80 jobs in two months without success.

Joe Burgess, 25, who lives in Felixstowe, worked for a shipping firm in Felixstowe for two-and-a-half years after leaving school and getting a diploma, before the firm decided to make those in his department redundant.

He then got a job with another shipping firm but they made his role redundant after six months. Mr Burgess has now been unemployed for three months.

The government said in August it had launched a scheme to get thousands more young people into training and work.

Joe Burgess had worked for a shipping firm for two-and-a-half years at the container port at Felixstowe in Suffolk

This week the national unemployment rate rose from 4.7% to 4.8%, driven "mostly by younger people", according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In the East of England, the latest figures on youth unemployment show the number of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work has risen by 13.6% over the past 10 years, from 66,000 in June-Aug 2015 to 75,000 in June-Aug 2025.

Danni Hewson, AJ Bell's head of financial analysis, said the figures were creating "a clearer picture of a labour market that's soft, with younger workers facing the biggest challenges".

Joe Burgess has been supported by his mother Amanda Burgess, who said she shared his "frustration" as he strived to get a job

Mr Burgess told BBC Politics East that over the past two months he had applied for 80 jobs without success.

"It's been a constant cycle of redundancies. I just have to keep going, keep pushing myself," he said.

His mother, Amanda Burgess, said her son had been "knocked down so often" but "doesn't give up".

"It's so frustrating," she said. "There's not much help out there. It's a scary time."

In August this year the government said it had announced an extra £45m to help "ensure that no young person will be left behind as we unlock economic growth".

The then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall said: "This government will not stand by while so many young people are not in education or training - robbing them of their potential and our country of its future."

BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 19 October at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

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