Bias against gender, age, ethnicity and a lack of recent experience is preventing qualified people from returning to the STEM industry after a career break, according to new research by STEM Returners.
The annual STEM Returners Index asks more than 1,000 STEM professionals on a career break, or who have recently returned, a range of questions to understand their experiences of re-entering the sector.
Three-quarters (75%) of respondents in the 2025 Index said they were finding the return-to-work process difficult or very difficult (39% and 36% respectively). This is higher than in 2022 (65%) when the country was returning to normality after the pandemic.
More than half of respondents (53%) said they had experienced bias against a lack of recent experience, an increase from 51% in last year’s survey, while 41% reported experiencing age bias, up from 36% in 2024.
More than a quarter (28%) of women said they experienced bias against their gender compared to 4% of men, an increase from 26% in 2024.
Two-thirds of people (65%) said the challenges of trying to return to work were damaging their self-confidence.
Rethinking career choices
The survey found that negative recruitment experiences are causing professionals to rethink their careers in the STEM sector: 85% of respondents said the challenges had made them question whether to continue pursuing a career in STEM.
Women continue to report childcare as the leading driver of a career break, with more than half (54%) saying they stepped away due to childcare responsibilities, compared to 9% of men.
For men, career breaks are more likely to be driven by redundancy or work-related pressures. Redundancy rose from 25% to 28% in 2025, making it the most cited reason among male respondents.
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 have to take a break – to care for an elderly relative, or redundancy, for example – and this is a normal part of working life. People should not be penalised for it, and it shouldn’t mean your career ends.
“Industry leaders must do more to update recruitment practices and challenge unconscious bias to give returners a fair chance to rejoin the industry they are passionate about.”
