Fewer graduates able to find permanent jobs
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.NEARLY 10 per cent of the 112,000 students who graduated from universities and polytechnics in England last year were still unemployed in December, and only 38 per cent are known to have moved into permanent employment, the Department for Education reported yesterday.
In its annual report, the department said that the proportion of first-degree graduates obtaining first and upper-second class degrees has increased. But as the quality had risen, their employment prospects had diminished. 'Graduate unemployment has risen from the low levels of the late 1980s, but this is a reflection of the business cycle,' it said.
In 1988 and 1989 a majority of all students were known to have found permanent jobs within four months of graduating from English colleges and universities. But the proportion fell from 51.5 per cent in 1988 and 1989 to 48.5 per cent in 1990, 44 per cent in 1991 - and 38 per cent last December.
Over the period, there was an increase in the proportion of graduates going into temporary jobs, further education and training, and even emigrating. But the proportion 'believed unemployed' rose from 6.2 per cent to 9.8 per cent.
Meanwhile, the number of people graduating rose over the four years to last summer by more than 15 per cent in England, from 97,000 in 1988 to 112,000. However, the number of students known to have got permanent employment fell by 14 per cent, from 50,000 to 43,000 over the same period.
The department estimated that 28 per cent of young people went into higher education last autumn, and the Government plans to increase that to a third by the end of the decade. The number of full-time equivalent students in Britain is expected to top a million for the first time next year.
Frank Dobson, Labour employment spokesman, said last night: 'Over the next few years, we're going to have even more graduates, even fewer jobs, and even more graduate unemployment.'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments