The data also went on to reveal the industries and UK cities which have seen the largest increase in the number of graduate roles, year-on-year*:
Best industries to secure a graduate role
Distribution (up 245.5%)
Sales (up 108.4%)
Public sector (up 84%)
Social care (up 54.8%)
Retail/purchasing (up 37.8%)
*Figures compare data from Jan-May 2020 vs. Jan – May 2021
Best cities to secure a graduate role
Manchester (up 81.4%)
Cardiff (up 71.7%)
Liverpool (up 50.7%)
Leeds (up 43.9%)
London (up 26.3%)
However, the study also revealed that while graduate job postings have soared, the number of applications per graduate job has dropped by 9% year-on-year. What’s more, the average salary for these positions has dropped by -3.2%, year-on-year. *Figures compare data from Jan-May 2020 vs. Jan – May 2021
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library comments: “If you’re graduating this year, it might feel impossible to secure a graduate role after the events of the last 18 months. However, this data proves that there are plenty of graduate roles available.
Biggins continues: “What’s more, the decline in applications suggests that competition for these graduate roles is starting to ease slightly. This should come as good news to graduating students across the UK. That said, candidates still need to be on top of their game when applying for roles. A great way to stand out is to tailor your CV to every role and do thorough research about the company you’re applying for – it never hurts to go that extra mile.”
