Graduate’s £84,000 student loan debt exposes UK job crisis

LocalPolitics
4 Mar 2026 • 5:17 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Lewis Gibson, a politics and Spanish graduate from the University of Sheffield, is struggling to find a job in his desired field and has moved back in with his parents.
  • Nine months after graduating, Mr Gibson's student loan debt has spiralled to over £84,000, with £4,445 in interest charged since April 2025.
  • Despite applying for around 60 roles, the 24-year-old works part-time in a shop while continuing his job hunt.
  • His situation reflects a wider trend, with a quarter fewer graduate jobs offered by leading employers in the last three years and rising youth unemployment.
  • The issue of student loan debt is gaining political attention, with Sir Keir Starmer vowing to make the system fairer and Kemi Badenoch calling for a reduction in interest rates.

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