We must build bridges to meaningful work

Work occupies a staggering portion of the human experience. In the United Kingdom, the average adult will spend nearly 50 years of their life working. Whether it is paid employment, unpaid household labor, or the vital work of voluntary care, "work" is one of the primary ways we steward our time and talents.

Founded on biblical precedent and principle, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), believes work holds a sacred, inherent value: it offers a sense of meaning, dignity, and identity. However, for millions of people across the UK—and hundreds of millions more across the globe—the door to that dignity is currently bolted shut.

For many, the job market has ceased to be a ladder of opportunity; instead, it has become a fortress with the drawbridge raised.

As part of marking the thirtieth anniversary of CAP in the UK this year, CAP has released a landmark report, Barriers to Work: challenges, support and solutions. Drawing on years of experience through CAP's church-based job clubs and fresh national data, the report paints a sobering picture of the modern employment market. For many, the job market has ceased to be a ladder of opportunity; instead, it has become a fortress with the drawbridge raised.

While the report's findings are rooted in the UK context, the themes of rejection, structural worklessness, and the crushing weight of debt that is often attached, are universal. As the Body of Christ, we are called to be a global community that looks at the unemployed not as a statistic to be managed, but as brothers and sisters who are being denied their God-given right to contribute.

The invisible moat: barriers to entry

A "moat" of complex, overlapping barriers.

Our research shows that the journey toward employment is often blocked by a "moat" of complex, overlapping barriers. It is rarely as simple as "finding a job."

In the UK, we found that 42% of unemployed adults cite depression or anxiety as a major hurdle to entering work. The job search process itself—characterized by silence from employers and automated rejections—has become a driver of anxiety.

We found that 9 million UK adults have been unsuccessful in ten or more job applications in the last year alone. Imagine the erosion of self-worth that comes with being told ten, twenty, or fifty times that you are "not enough" for an entry-level role. This is not just an economic failure; it is a spiritual crisis.

They don't just lose a paycheck, they lose their sense of purpose.

When a person’s confidence is "whittled away," as one of our job club managers put it, they don't just lose a paycheck, they lose their sense of purpose.

Furthermore, even those who find jobs are often trapped in a layer of insecure, low-paid, part-time work. In the UK, half of all adults in full-time work report feeling regularly anxious about their finances. Work is no longer a guaranteed escape from poverty. Debt and worklessness have become a "Catch-22": you cannot function in the workplace without financial stability, but you cannot achieve stability without a fair income.

The church as the bridge-builder

(The solution) isn't about policy—it’s about presence.

So, how do we lower the drawbridge? The Barriers to Work report offers clear policy recommendations for the UK Government: more face-to-face support, increased employer flexibility, and a "liveable income" strategy. But the most transformative finding in our report isn't about policy—it’s about presence.

Since 2013, CAP has partnered with local churches to run job clubs. These are not government offices; they are communities of grace. They provide an eight-week program where people are seen, heard, and coached. The results are measurable: across the UK population, 39% of those struggling to find work said that in-person support would be the single most helpful thing for them.

A CAP job club in a local church that saw her strengths, rebuilt her confidence, and walked with her.

I think of Amy, whose story is featured in the report. After losing her job at a nursery, she was left with just £500 a month to cover rent and bills. She went days without eating. Her self-worth was destroyed. It was a CAP job club in a local church that saw her strengths, rebuilt her confidence, and walked with her until she secured a role.

This is where the Church, regardless of geography, has a unique "competitive advantage" as it were. Governments can provide benefits, and corporations can provide jobs, but only a community rooted in the love of Christ can provide a unique level of restoration.

An international call to action

The "fortress" of the job market exists in your cities and villages, too.

To my fellow believers around the world: what we have identified as the "fortress" of the job market exists in your cities and villages, too. Whether it is the digital divide in rural areas, the lack of recognition for life skills over paper qualifications, or the stigma surrounding criminal records, the barriers may look different, but the human cost is the same.

Jesus calls us in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) to "do likewise", asking us as his followers to show mercy and compassion, but also to provide practical help to anyone in need regardless of background.

And, through what is commonly known as his Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), Jesus makes it clear that, as Christians, our path should not just be about the salvation of souls, but the restoration of lives.

The Church... can be the mentors who connect young people to their first networks.

If 20% of workers feel their employers lack the flexibility to accommodate health needs or caring responsibilities, the Church can lead by example. We can be the employers who offer the "Real Living Wage." We can be the mentors who connect young people to their first networks.

In the report, we highlight that inclusive, person-centered support makes a measurable difference. When a church opens its doors for a job club, it isn't just teaching CV writing; it is performing an act of "responsible stewardship" of our neighbors' talents.

The path forward

We are not a people of despair, we are here to reignite hope.

As we look to the future, the challenges are significant. Artificial intelligence and automation threaten to displace millions of roles. Age discrimination remains a silent thief of opportunity for those over 50. But we are not a people of despair, we are here to reignite hope.

The Labour Government in the UK has expressed a desire to encourage more people into work and strengthen support for jobseekers. We hope our report serves as a realistic and compassionate roadmap for those policies. But we also know that legislation alone cannot heal a broken spirit.

Look at the "moats" in your communities.

In keeping with our fortress metaphor, I call on believers everywhere to look at the "moats" in your communities. Who is being kept out? Is it the mother who cannot afford childcare? Is it the man whose mental health makes a 35-hour-a-week role impossible? Is it the young working class person, stripped of opportunity?

Let us be the ones who lower the drawbridge. Work is vital to our society and our economy, but people are vital to the heart of God. By removing the barriers to work for the most vulnerable, we don’t just improve the economy—we reflect the Kingdom.

Stewart McCulloch joined Christians Against Poverty as Chief Executive Officer in January 2024. In his role, Stewart champions a collective, church-based movement, a clear response to the UK's deepening poverty crisis. This combines with his personal passion to free people from debt and see transformed lives as a result. Previously, he headed an international insurance business before moving to Christian charities like World Vision and Stewardship as part of his wish to integrate his faith and work.