Our 2024 Annual Survey looks at the financial and employment experiences of young women in England and Wales.
We spoke to 3,977 young women and 1,051 young men aged 18-30. We also heard from 917 professionals with responsibility for recruitment and/or HR decision making about their organisation’s employment practices, attitudes and behaviours towards young women in the workplace.
This year, we found that:
- Young women are still much worse off financially than young men. 42% of young women said their financial situation has got worse over the last year, compared to 27% of young men.
- Discrimination levels are soaring. 53% of young women report that they have faced discrimination at work, rising to 61% for racially minoritised young women. This marks a three year high.
- Because they have less savings or emergency money, young women remain more exposed to the cost of living crisis than men. They are more likely to be going hungry, falling behind on bills and getting into debt.
- Some groups of young women are struggling even more, particularly single mums and young women on benefits.
- Racially minoritised young women are much more likely to be affected by insecure work, discrimination and lack of progression opportunities, with 47% reporting that they are worried about job security.
It’s not surprising then that large numbers of young women are feeling stuck, and much less hopeful than young men about the future.
The very least young women deserve is a secure job, a decent wage, and the opportunity to fulfil their potential, yet for far too many that’s still a distant dream.
What can be done?
If you’re an employer, download our free guide on making a more inclusive workplace.
