Graduate unemployment at highest for over a decade

doire_2

One in five university leavers failed to find work last year as graduate unemployment reached its highest in more than a decade, government figures show.
The Office for National Statistics data showed graduate unemployment had nearly doubled during the recession.
The figures are from the third quarter of 2010.
They follow research suggesting a rise in graduate opportunities took place towards the end of the year.
The figures showed that graduate unemployment had risen faster - from 10.6% to 20% - than unemployment for the UK as a whole (5.2% to a high of 7.9%).
'Hostile' market
They refer to graduates who were economically active, looking and available for work but unable to find any.
Meanwhile, unemployment for 16-17 year-olds remains "historically high", the ONS said.
In the third quarter of 2010, 44.3% of economically active young people in that age bracket, who had left school, were unable to find a job - the highest since comparable records began in 1992.
Graduates aged 21-24 were still less likely to be out of a job (11.6%) than their peers without degrees (14.6%), the figures showed.
However, a survey of more than 200 employers in the UK published on Tuesday suggested the picture may be improving.
The research by the Association of Graduate Recruiters revealed an 8.9% annual increase in graduate jobs.
But it also showed that average starting salaries had not risen for three years, staying at £25,000.
The improving jobs market was driven by a surge of vacancies at the end of last year, says the survey, with a forecast of a further 3.8% increase for this year.
In response to the ONS figures, National Union of Students president Aaron Porter said: "These new figures show that graduates are encountering an exceptionally hostile jobs market and the government persists with policies that put the burden of the country's debt on the young."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12286264

Lokolo

When I read this I was first surprised that the average salary was £25k!

StevieJ

I guess this wouldn't have made as good a thread title?

Research by the Association of Graduate Recruiters revealed an 8.9% annual increase in graduate jobs.

PasturesNew

Average starting at £25k, most of us can only dream of EVER reaching such a salary after a lifetime's struggle to plough on regardless.

doire_2

StevieJ wrote: »

I guess this wouldn't have made as good a thread title?

No because this post thread is about the report by the Office for National Statistics