Graduate employment remaining steady

The Chief Researcher for the Higher Education Career Services Unit (HECSU) has argued that the graduate employment market has yet to show any signs of a recession.

Dr Charlie Ball noted that at 6%, unemployment rates for university leavers are significant lower than in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when it rose to over 10%.

However, he did acknowledge that the credit crunch is likely to have an impact on graduate recruitment.

Mr Ball added that it would be difficult to predict what will happen this summer, but said: 'Looking at the graduate recruiter survey for example, who look at a lot of the blue-chip companies, they are still saying they are recruiting more graduates than they did last year.'

The graduate unemployment rate is currently at its lowest level since 2000, according to data from HECSU, despite the fact that the number of university leavers has risen by 2.6%.