Policy Hub
On 29 April 2009, High Fliers Research published one of the largest independent surveys of final year students conducted in the UK (UK graduate careers survey 2009).
The survey is based on face-to-face interviews with 16,357 final year students.
The research reveals that the number of 2009 finalists who have secured a definite job offer during the annual ‘milkround’ recruitment process has dropped by a third this year, compared with figures for 2008.
The survey also shows a dramatic fall in applications for graduate jobs in banking, finance and property. Instead, more university-leavers have applied to work in the public sector, teaching, engineering, the voluntary sector and the armed forces.
Key findings show that just 36% of current final year students believe they will either start a graduate job or be looking for a graduate job after leaving university this summer.
Students’ confidence in the graduate job market is at an all time low since the survey was launched in 1995 with 52% of university-leavers describing prospects for new graduates as very limited.
Similarly, 42% of student job hunters fear that even if they do manage to land a graduate job, the offer may be cancelled by employers before they start work.