Latest news: Graduate unemployment in surprise fall

The number of unemployed graduates has fallen for the first time since the recession and record numbers are securing jobs, according to an optimistic survey by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU). 07/11/2011

Graduate unemployment has fallen from 8.9% to 8.5%, while 100,265 university leavers found graduate level jobs six months after graduating - a 9.2% increase on 2009, reveal the statistics from the annual What Do Graduates Do? survey.

However, graduate pay continues to stagnate, with salaries averaging between £17,720 and £23,335, with Scotland seeing the highest average annual increase of just £335 since 2009.

There are also signs that the government’s public sector cuts are beginning to bite, with falls in the number of graduates securing roles in local government, public administration and the defence sector.

While graduate unemployment has fallen, it remains high in comparison to levels reported at the beginning of the recession and graduate still face stiff competition - not just from their peers but also from more recent graduates,’ cautioned HECSU’s deputy director of research, Charlie Ball.

‘Slow but sustained economic recovery should be mirrored in the graduate labour market but developments over the next few months will need to be closely monitored.

‘Many parts of the graduate employment market remain fragile, and recovery has not spread to all sectors or regions of the country. The jobs market for graduates is still vulnerable to bad economic weather and a continued recovery cannot be guaranteed in the current climate,’ he added.

The survey researched the destinations of both full- and part-time first degree graduates six months after graduation in 2010.

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