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On 27 October 2005, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) published research (The class of '99: a study of the early labour market experiences of recent graduates) which finds that most employed university leavers in 'England' are in graduate-level jobs four years after graduation. This research builds on an earlier study which investigated the early career paths of a cohort of 1995 graduates.
The report details the fortunes of 8,600 graduates from the full range of UK undergraduate courses, from course completion to four years after leaving university. Job outcomes, earnings, debt, training and further learning have been investigated, as well as general satisfaction with the Higher Education experience.
The study found that the market for graduates remained strong, with 85% of employed graduates in graduate-level jobs four years after leaving university. It also explored issues such as the impact of debt on the career choices made by graduates and whether studying for a degree still represented a good investment.
The full report can be viewed on the DfES website (pdf).