Uncovering the hidden drivers of workforce dropout

PwC wanted to better understand one of the UK’s most urgent post-pandemic challenges: the sharp rise in economic inactivity. Since 2019, over 700,000 additional working-age adults have exited the labour market, many due to complex personal reasons such as mental health struggles, long-term illness, or caregiving responsibilities.

While policymakers and businesses had focused heavily on getting inactive people back into work, there was far less understanding of the reasons people were leaving work in the first place – especially among under-35s. The data to explain this emerging trend simply didn’t exist at scale.

PwC needed to build a high-quality evidence base to inform its national report on workforce retention – but the research required was unusually complex. They weren’t just looking for top-line numbers; they needed to uncover emotional drivers, hidden decision points, and the opportunities to intervene before someone left work. That meant going deep, fast, and across multiple groups.

Specifically, PwC needed:

• A way to collect rich, candid insight from people in highly personal situations (e.g. anxiety, burnout, financial stress)
• Data from three distinct groups: people still in work, those thinking of leaving, and those who had already left
• A research process that could scale rapidly – delivering both qualitative and quantitative insight within tight timelines
• A trusted partner to manage everything end-to-end, from interview design to data synthesis
  

They turned to Focaldata to help make it happen.

Focaldata designed and delivered a two-phase research programme combining advanced qualitative and quantitative techniques:

Phase 1: AI-powered depth interviews

Using Focaldata’s AI-enabled FDChat tool, over 300 in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals across three groups: current workers, the economically inactive, and business leaders. The chatbot format created a safe, conversational space for participants to share difficult or emotionally sensitive experiences — including mental health challenges, caregiving pressures, and workplace disengagement.

Phase 2: Large-scale national survey
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Focaldata deployed a UK-representative survey of 4,404 adults aged 18–64. Fieldwork was completed in just 10 days.

‍Full-service delivery
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‍From co-designing the research framework to handling scripting, translations, fieldwork, data processing, and insight synthesis, Focaldata provided an end-to-end solution – allowing PwC to stay focused on strategic analysis and policy impact.

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The data powered PwC’s Turning the Tide on Economic Inactivity report – a major contribution to the national conversation on workforce participation, productivity, and wellbeing.

Key outcomes included:

1. ‍A new evidence base for action
   ‍The research revealed that 1 in 10 workers (around 4.4 million people) are actively considering leaving the workforce – with mental health cited as the top reason among under-35s. It also showed that many exits are gradual and preventable, with clear windows for employer intervention.
2. ‍Business and policy impact
   The findings were shared with government stakeholders, ahead of the Get Britain Working White Paper, and sparked new thinking among employers. Over half of businesses surveyed said they were already rethinking their support strategies as a result of rising inactivity.‍
3. Scalable research model
   Focaldata’s approach allowed PwC to generate both qualitative depth and quantitative scale, quickly and efficiently. The combination of AI-moderated interviews and rapid survey deployment proved especially powerful in surfacing complex, hard-to-reach insights.
4. Trusted partnership for future insight
   By integrating tech-enabled research tools with expert guidance, Focaldata helped PwC not only tell a compelling story – but create a replicable model for future evidence-led policymaking.