Returning to the STEM industry after a career break is becoming increasingly difficult, according to new research from STEM Returners, with bias around age, gender, ethnicity and a perceived lack of recent experience preventing highly qualified professionals from re-entering the sector.

The latest STEM Returners Index surveyed more than 1,000 STEM professionals currently on a career break or who have recently returned to work. Three-quarters (75%) of respondents said the return-to-work process was difficult or very difficult, rising from 65% in 2022 as the country emerged from the pandemic.

More than half of respondents (53%) said they had experienced bias due to a lack of recent experience, up from 51% in 2024. Reports of age bias also increased, with 41% experiencing it in 2025, compared with 36% the previous year.

Gender bias remains a significant issue. More than a quarter (28%) of women said they had experienced bias due to their gender, compared with just 4% of men, an increase from 26% in 2024.

The impact of these barriers is profound. Nearly two-thirds (65%) said the challenges of returning to work were damaging their self-confidence, while 85% said the experience had made them question whether to continue pursuing a career in STEM.

Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said:
“Despite widespread discussion about skills gaps and the value of experienced professionals, the past year has not delivered the progress returners need. Instead, the data shows stalled momentum, continued barriers, and a hiring environment that remains difficult to navigate.

“There are many reasons why people take career breaks, such as caring responsibilities or redundancy, and this is a normal part of working life. People should not be penalised for it, and it shouldn’t mean their career ends.”

Women continue to cite childcare as the leading reason for taking a career break, with 54% stepping away due to childcare responsibilities, compared with 9% of men. For men, redundancy is now the most common reason, rising to 28% in 2025.

Around 90,000 people take career breaks each year, according to the CIPD, yet just 17% of survey respondents said their break was by choice. Many face significant barriers when attempting to return.

One of them is Anna Shkurba, an engineer whose career break was shaped by caregiving responsibilities, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. After relocating to the UK with her two children, Anna applied for hundreds of roles with little success before joining a STEM Returners Programme at Jacobs.

“After so many rejections, it was demoralising,” she says. “But the interview process felt supportive and welcoming, and receiving the offer was a huge relief.”

Since 2017, STEM Returners has helped nearly 700 people return to work through paid 12-week placements, offering mentoring, coaching and a route back into permanent roles with organisations including National Grid, BAE Systems, E.ON, Leonardo UK and EDF.