NEARLY one in three newly qualified midwives are unable to find a job despite “chronic” staff shortages across the sector, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has said.

Many are being left unemployed at a time when “maternity services are struggling with staff shortages,” said the union.

The RCM surveyed 312 midwifery graduates who secured their professional registration at the end of 2025.

It found that 31 per cent have not been able to secure a post and 55 per cent of those who had found employment were on fixed-term contracts instead of permanent contracts.

Some 53 per cent of those in work said they were not working full time.

Many newly qualified midwives are turning to roles in hospitality, retail, office work and cleaning jobs as a result of the job shortages.

RCM midwifery director Fiona Gibb said: “These results are deeply worrying and it is troubling that newly qualified midwives, who have worked hard and are ready to contribute to care, are being left unemployed, working in non-clinical roles or trapped in insecure jobs.

“This uncertainty is having a serious impact on graduates’ wellbeing, with many experiencing anxiety, stress and loss of confidence at the very start of their careers.

“Alongside this, financial pressures are mounting, as graduates struggle to meet living costs, repay student loans, and plan for their futures without stable employment.

“At a time when maternity services are struggling with staff shortages, we should be doing everything we can to bring these newly qualified professionals into the workforce.

“Instead, they are being failed which is undermining the future maternity workforce we so desperately need.”

The RCM warned that financial constraints and NHS recruitment freezes are “pushing out” newly qualified midwives before they have even started their careers.

Ms Gibb added: “For years, the RCM has warned that maternity services are operating without enough midwives to provide consistently safe, personalised care.

“Yet this survey shows newly qualified midwives — registered and ready to work — are being left without jobs.

“The government needs to urgently invest in permanent posts so newly qualified midwives can enter the profession and help deliver the safe care that maternity services urgently need.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said: “No one who dedicates themselves to a career in midwifery should be left in limbo, when their skills are so urgently needed to rebuild our NHS.

“That’s why this government’s graduate guarantee delivered 700 additional roles for newly qualified midwives on top of existing recruitment, backed by £8 million in funding.

“We now have a record 31,024 midwives working in the NHS, and our 10-year workforce plan will set out how we will train, recruit and retain the midwifery workforce for the long term.”