More than half of young people have turned down or left a job, apprenticeship or work experience because they could not afford travel, clothes or childcare, new research has suggested.
Children’s charity Barnardo’s said its study showed that many young people were being priced out of jobs, education and training opportunities.
Its survey of 1,000 16 to 25-year-olds in England found 56% had turned down, not applied for or left a job, course, apprenticeship, work experience placement or other opportunity because they could not afford the associated costs.
Among this group, more than a quarter (28%) said this had happened to them more than once.
Barnardo’s said financial assistance available to young people trying to take their first step on the career ladder is often “fragmented, insufficient and narrowly targeted”.
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “Young people want to work. They want the independence, security and opportunities that work can bring, but our research shows that for too many, the cost of accessing an opportunity is becoming a barrier to the opportunity itself.
“Things like bus fares and smart clothes might seem like minor expenses, but for a young person with little or no income, they can be the difference between taking up an opportunity and having to walk away from it.
“Behind these figures are young people with talent, ambition and potential. We need a system that removes practical barriers, rather than allowing them to shut young people out.”
Green Party deputy leader Rachel Millward said: “This report makes clear the huge extent to which people struggling to make ends meet face additional barriers when it comes to getting jobs and employment.
“This will only get worse if we don’t start to address the rising levels of extreme inequality that we see in the UK.
“And we can only do that with a radical new approach to the economy starting with wealth taxes and rent controls.”
It comes after 100 major companies were contacted by Alan Milburn urging them to create job roles and placements for young people.
Mr Milburn, who was commissioned by former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to lead the Government’s review into worklessness, has approached “business leaders” in sectors including rail, transport and utilities to ask them to provide more chances for young people.
According to the Milburn review, firms such as Royal Mail, Octopus Energy, Greene King and Lloyds bank are already providing avenues for school and university leavers. These organisations are participating in the review's First Chance scheme, which was created directly from the review.
Over the past decade, the total number of mid-skilled and lower-skilled positions within the economy has dropped by around 1.6 million, the department revealed.
Departmental data also indicated that six in 10 young people currently not in employment, education or training (Neet) have never worked.
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