“Graduates entering the world of work this summer will be stepping into the brightest graduate labour market since the recession. Grad vacancies have shown resilience over the last six months, and unemployment has fallen across the board. As of March, our data shows that there were 13,771 graduate vacancies on the jobs market. Finding a first job is easier for uni-leavers – the rate of unemployment rate is twice as high among non-graduates than among graduates.
“Grads who have studied the STEM subjects are particularly in demand and can expect to command a competitive wage packet. On average they are paid almost £3,000 more than graduates who studied arts and humanities subjects when entering the world of work. The Science and Technology sectors are going from strength to strength in the UK, but continue to be held back by a lack of talent, so it’s no surprise STEM graduates are being snapped up.
“The figures also reveal a compelling difference between the behaviour of male and female grads. The unemployment rate for young male graduates is 1.8 percentage points higher than for young female graduates. However, young male grads earn £2,000 more on average – suggesting they may be holding out for longer after graduation to find a better paid position.”
