Does the current graduate job market affect LGBTQ+ students more?

It is no secret that we are experiencing one of the worst job markets in recent years. In the UK, the overall unemployment rate has risen to 5.2%; however, youth unemployment has reached the staggering rate of 16.1% in 2026, which is the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic. In London specifically, youth unemployment sits at 24.6%. This clearly shows that young people, particularly students and recent graduates, are being hit the hardest by this growing economic pressure.

For most people in education, the current job market echoes an upcoming professional uncertainty, which comes hand in hand with demotivation and sometimes even questioning the value, effort, and worth of their degree. Many students are already trying to secure future opportunities through internships or graduate roles, while others are balancing academic life with part-time work simply to support themselves.

On the other hand, graduates are the ones who are directly experiencing the immediate dehumanisation that the job market inflicts. For unemployed graduates, life consists of relentless applications followed by numerous rejection emails without feedback.

Daily encounters also include the infamous job boards’ ‘ghost postings’, AI interviewers, online assessments, tailored cover letters and CVs for each job, 5-stage interview processes, and worst of all, the guilt of uselessness. This bitter sense that assures you that you did everything ‘right’, yet you are unable to even feel productive or useful without a job. It is almost humiliating to think that such a large group of qualified and educated people are desperately in need of any type of employment that offers a humane wage.  

However, amongst this majority of young people who seek employment, could we say that they all face the same problems in their battle for a job offer? Or are some groups, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals, disproportionately affected?

The evidence suggests the latter: LGBTQ+ students and graduates experience more difficulties even in their job search compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.

According to a study released in March 2026 by myGwork, which is a UK-based inclusive business organisation, the experiences of LGBTQ+ students and graduates highlight a significantly more complex and challenging landscape when entering the workforce.

These challenges are intensified by growing scepticism towards corporate commitments to inclusion, which are a direct impact of the wider political climate.

Only 9% of the survey respondents believe that all employers are doing enough to support the LGBTQ+ community, while the majority feel that efforts are inconsistent. At the same time, around one in three respondents have already reconsidered their career path, industry, or location due to recent social and political shifts, including cuts to DEI funding. More than half, 53%, said they would actively avoid applying to companies that have reduced or withdrawn LGBTQ+ support. Therefore, the lack of corporate transparency, combined with the lack of DEI funding, is making graduates more cautious about their professional choices.

It is also worth noting that, for LGBTQ+ people of colour, these challenges are even more pronounced, with 40% reporting direct experiences of discrimination compared to 30% of their white counterparts.

As a result, queer students and graduates are forced to become more selective in where they apply for work, prioritising safety, authenticity, and proven inclusion; meaning that the process of ‘mass applying’ to jobs is not a path that they will easily consider. This added layer of scrutiny suggests that they face greater overall barriers, especially queer people of colour.

Ultimately, while the current job market is challenging for all young people, LGBTQ+ individuals face a more complicated and restrictive reality.