20 September 2026
Report shows first jobs shape income and career progression
The Social Market Foundation’s ‘The First Rung’ report on first jobs highlights that they can shape income and career progression for many years.
The report is based on a survey of 3,000 adults across the UK with interviews with an additional 200 people. It explored their first roles in work and the impact it had on their future career. By looking at how easy it is to access the best jobs, the report also found that the opportunity to gain a good first job was not equal.
Not all first jobs are equally beneficial, with the best ones offering ‘structured training, supportive management and clear routes forward’. With the Milburn report highlighting the drop in the availability of Saturday and entry-level jobs, this disparity is likely to be contributing to issues such as the high level of NEETs.
In terms of impact, positive first jobs were linked to 24% higher earnings in later careers, and those who had completed an internship before permanent work were more than twice as likely to be on an accelerated path than those with no work experience.
Read more about The First Rung report from the Social Market Foundation.
The report is based on a survey of 3,000 adults across the UK with interviews with an additional 200 people. It explored their first roles in work and the impact it had on their future career. By looking at how easy it is to access the best jobs, the report also found that the opportunity to gain a good first job was not equal.
Not all first jobs are equally beneficial, with the best ones offering ‘structured training, supportive management and clear routes forward’. With the Milburn report highlighting the drop in the availability of Saturday and entry-level jobs, this disparity is likely to be contributing to issues such as the high level of NEETs.
In terms of impact, positive first jobs were linked to 24% higher earnings in later careers, and those who had completed an internship before permanent work were more than twice as likely to be on an accelerated path than those with no work experience.
Read more about The First Rung report from the Social Market Foundation.
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