Rising number of graduates still jobless after three years

A study of 50,000 graduates who left university in 2007 has found that they are more likely to be unemployed than their predecessors.

The research, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, shows the number remaining jobless after three years has been steadily rising over the past decade – from 2.3 per cent to 3.6 per cent.

The graduates most likely to find jobs were those who had studied for medicine or dentistry – with 88.9 per cent in employment. They were also the least likely to be unemployed (0.7 per cent).

When it came to studying for further qualifications after graduating, students from the Russell Group – which represents 20 of the most intensive higher education research institutions – were more likely to stay on (11.6 per cent).