MPs who lose their seats at general elections often lack the skills to find a new job, according to a significant new survey.

Researchers at the University of Leeds quizzed 184 members of the Association of Former Members of Parliament about aspects of their post-Commons life.

They found that around half of MPs who did not retire from the Commons voluntarily said it had taken three to six months to find a new job.

Just one fifth said they were able to find work immediately or almost immediately, while one in seven took over a year to find employment.

Study co-author Professor Kevin Theakston said: "Politics is a non-commercial career and our report shows that the idea that there are hundreds of ex-MPs walking into cushy and lucrative jobs is rubbish."

Two fifths of ex-MPs said they were making less money since they left Parliament, with one fifth earning "about the same".

One third said they were financially better off after losing their seats or standing down.

Just over a quarter of former MPs said they were able to return to the career or employment they had had before entering the House of Commons.

But a third said they were not able to pick up their former careers or jobs.

One survey respondent was quoted as saying: "Many MPs do not appreciate their skills on entering Parliament will not be and are not relevant when they leave."

Asked about what aspects of the Commons they missed, 17 per cent declined to identify anything.

But 53 per cent reported that they missed "being at the centre of things" and 41 per cent missed their involvement in constituency issues.

And 46 per cent said they "missed the company of other MPs".

On what they did not miss about being in Parliament, 17 per cent cited the workload and 15 per cent pointed to the feeling of being constantly 'on call' for constituents and the press.

There were also calls from some former MPs for political parties to provide more help in adjusting and finding new employment.

One former Conservative MP claimed that the party had been "totally disinterested" in offering any assistance.

And a former Labour MP said that "committed and loyal as I remain to my party, I am very disappointed at the way past service is taken for granted, one's future is never considered and one's welfare entirely overlooked".

The report authors concluded: "Although many former MPs rejected the need for support, what was available came mostly from family and close friends, with some from office staff and local party members.

"However, local supporters and the media sometimes made things more difficult. Some felt that the parties and/or Parliament itself could offer more help to defeated MPs in adjusting and in finding employment.

"As MPs, respondents had clearly enjoyed the 'buzz' of the Commons and being at the centre of things, and the status and influence that this gave, as well as the 'club atmosphere' and facilities at Westminster – and they clearly missed these things.

"This was, however, at the expense of the long hours of work, with their effect on family life, and the feeling of constantly being 'on call' in London and in the constituency.

"Those who went to the Lords attested to the frenetic nature of the Commons by comparison.

"Nevertheless, the former MPs replying to the questionnaire appear overwhelmingly as a group of public-minded individuals."