Huge rise in graduates in low-paid jobs

Richard Garner Author Biography ,

Richard Garner

Richard Garner has been Education Editor of The Independent for 12 years and writing about the subject for 34 years. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a disc jockey in London pubs and clubs and for a hospital radio station. His main hobbies are cricket (watching these days) and theatre. On his days off, he is most likelt to be found at Lord’s or the King’s Head Theatre Club.

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Sarah Cassidy

Friday 29 June 2012

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The number of graduates forced to take up low-paid jobs has doubled in the past five years, according to figures released yesterday.

They show that those who have headed into "elementary occupations" – such as cleaning, roadsweeping, labouring, working in the school meals service and hospital portering – rose from 5,460 in 2006/7 to 10,270 last year.

In addition, the proportion of graduates estimated to be unemployed six months after leaving university has soared in that time, from 5 per cent to 9 per cent.

The figures, from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, came as separate statistics revealed an increase in the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training, from 7.5 per cent in 2010 to 8.1 per cent in 2011.

Brendan Barber, the TUC General Secretary, said: "The future for these youngsters looks increasingly bleak. With so many people chasing a declining number of jobs, those fresh out of school with no work experience behind them are losing out every time to more experienced job seekers."

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