Theo Dal Pozzo, 23, has an excellent master’s degree in computer science from the U.K. He sent out over 500 job applications and all were rejected.

Hannah, 24, is a language graduate from the U.K.’s Oxford University, but has been unable to find a job since 2024.

This is just two of the many stories appearing in the media this year.

These young people have worked tirelessly to earn their degrees and have ambition and aspirations, but remain jobless.

The labor market once operated on a simple promise: with ability, qualifications, and hard work, success always follows.

But the opposite is happening for a group of people with "the three no’s": no family background, no connections, and no stable job.

The third "no" is mostly a consequence of the first two.

For those with a less-than-ideal family background and weak connections, just effort and degrees are not enough. The lack of financial backing from family and social connections creates a double trap that crushes a person by destroying their job opportunities and silently eating away at their mental health.

The first roadblock is money, but not the way it is commonly thought of. Those from wealthy households do not need to work part time to pay their tuition fees and can instead use their time participating in networking events to expand their web of relationships.

But poor students have to slog at part-time jobs.

Rich kids can afford to spend a year or two searching for their dream job or pursuing further education to enhance their profile.

Young people without a financial cushion cannot afford to wait and are forced to accept whatever job comes their way to stay afloat.

This creates a paradox in which their efforts disrupt the course of their long-term career, making their profiles appear disjointed and even stopped right at the initial screening stage, which is often guarded by AI tools.

The second roadblock is even more difficult to grasp. It is the existence of what those in the world of economics call the "hidden job market." A number of good positions are recruited through internal referrals and direct networking, not through public listings online.

For young people whose parents or siblings work in the industry, the door to that hidden job market is open, but for those from humbler upbringings, this door seemingly does not exist.

They can only submit their application and compete with thousands of others in a ruthless battle for a publicly listed position.

Young people (R) look for job at a job introduction event in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tuyet

Alongside a lack of networking is a lack of guidance and long-term careers advice. These people are completely blind in manoeuvring their career path, while their peers have someone to point them in a clear direction.

The mental health of young people becomes greatly affected as a consequence of this reality.

Initially, they feel disappointed when turned away from opportunities, but over time, that disappointment turns into self-doubt.

Social media only digs deeper into this wound. On LinkedIn or Facebook, their friends are boasting about their new jobs, or checking in to fancy hotels; meanwhile, they are saving every penny to earn the right to exist in expensive cities.

The contrast creates a feeling of being disqualified from a race where they did not even start at the same point.

This is not a story unique to a single country.

A 2023 study by Grace Lordan, professor of behavioural sciences at the London School of Economics, found that almost a million Britons aged 16 to 24 were out of school, unemployed, and untrained.

Moreover, the unemployment rate among this age group has risen above the European Union average for the first time since records began to be kept.

Her research found that even people with a stable job are mentally affected by fears of AI taking their place, which do not start after they lose their jobs, but before.

This has become a public health crisis emerging in silence, hidden behind the rising numbers of unemployment.

Some people might respond by saying that every era has its challenges, and that earlier generations had a much tougher time. They believe that if you work hard and are truly capable, success will come eventually.

This argument is valid, and I even support it to a degree.

But I also see the crucial difference that circumstances today are very different.

As house prices have soared well beyond income growth, the long-held promise that hard work, a stable career, and careful saving would eventually lead to financial security has become increasingly unattainable.

What was achievable for those born in the 1980s is not reachable for the current generation.

It is important to note this is not the personal failure of those with the "three no's" but that of a society which had promised success for those who worked hard but instead secretly distributed opportunities based on people's birth.

Society needs to start establishing "safety nets", provide opportunities to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and promote transparent recruitment policies.

Otherwise, we would lose not only potential talents, but also the trust of an entire generation.

The British government realized this problem and has proposed solutions to mitigate this phenomenon.

It is important to invest in programs assisting in mental health and skills, while also providing career advice by experienced people.

After receiving an email about joining one of these programs this morning, I had hesitated because I doubted their effectiveness. After finishing the email, however, I decided to join.

"With projected average losses of £21 billion (US$28 billion) a year, we are compelled to act."

In my opinion, the loss of a group of young people is much more valuable than £21 billion. I am not sure about the percentage of success of this program.

Though, if nothing was done, things might get even worse. Encouraging and supporting these young people has become the responsibility of each person in the previous generation, and it shouldn't be left to only the government.