Big Issue’s recruitment service for people facing barriers to work reports 13% growth in 2024-25

Big Issue Group’s pioneering person-centred recruitment service has continued to see growth two years on from its launch, with a new impact report revealing today (Monday 10 February) that Big Issue Recruit has supported 13% more candidates than in year one.

Big Issue Recruit was launched in 2022 to prepare candidates who face barriers to work for employment, and by working closely with employers to find the right staff to fill their workforce gaps. Its innovative approach to getting people into work is unpacked in this week’s special edition of the Big Issue, which explores why millions of working-age Brits are not in work – and what solutions can change this.

In the face of a challenging work climate in the UK which has seen unemployment rise by over 190,000 in the past year^[1], Big Issue Recruit is set up to help its candidates break down a number of complex and often deeply entrenched barriers to work, such as poor mental health or digital exclusion, and prepare them for employment.

In 2024-25, its second full year of operation, the programme has worked with 13% more candidates than its first year. Over half (58%) of its candidates completed the full 12-week programme of training and were certified ‘work ready’ by their job coaches – who have delivered more than 1,677 hours of training in total.

To date, 120 candidates have worked through significant barriers to work to secure job roles that suit their individual needs and interests.

Big Issue Recruit has established a social value framework which can be used to demonstrate the monetary social value of its work, in terms of savings to the taxpayer and income generated for individuals. In just two years of operations, the programme has already delivered more than £2 million of social value^[2].

As of November 2024, the UK unemployment rate stood at 4.4%, and 1.57 million people aged 16+ unemployed. Unemployment levels increased by around 190,000 over the last year, and the unemployment rate also increased^[1].

Catherine Parsons, Big Issue Recruit’s Managing Director, said: “For over 30 years, the Big Issue has worked to dismantle poverty by creating opportunities for people to earn, learn and thrive. Big Issue Recruit builds on this experience: a specialist recruitment agency enabling people who face barriers to find and keep work.

“Since we started two years ago, Britain’s unemployment rate has grown and with 13% more people seeking our help this year than last year, we know that the transition to work is proving ever more challenging for our candidates.

“In the face of these challenges, this year’s impact report shows that our person-centred model of recruitment support is the best way to get people into work that sticks – a goal shared by our candidates and our employer partners, who want to improve their retention rates.”

Big Issue Group is always seeking partner employers to engage with its Recruit programme. To sign up as a candidate or to learn more about how your business can support people with barriers to employment into work, visit bigissue.com/recruit.

[1] UK Labour Market Statistics, House of Commons Library, published 21 January 2025 and available here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9366/

[2] Big Issue Recruit Impact Report 2024-25, published 10 February 2025 and available on bigissue.com.