Graduate starting salaries reach £21,000

Starting
salaries for graduates have hit £21,000 amid the first rise in vacancies since
2001, a survey of blue-chip firms has shown.

London
and the South East are fuelling the demand for degree holders, generating the
highest wages and the most jobs, according to the poll for the Association of
Graduate Recruiters (AGR).

Just
8 per cent of new graduate vacancies were to be found in Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland, which also paid the lowest salaries.

The
poll of 223 large employers showed that demand for graduates should continue to
rise next year as well, with 82 per cent saying they expected to maintain or
increase recruitment.

In
2004, AGR members reported a 15.5 per cent rise in vacancies, compared with
small falls in 2003 and 2002.

Average
starting salaries rose by 3.4 per cent from last year’s figure of £20,300.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

Email(Required)

OptOut

From time to time, we will send you emails about selected products, events and services from Personnel Today and OHW+ - but you can choose to opt-out at any time. If you do not wish to receive these emails, please tick this box.

Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

AGR
chief executive Carl Gilleard said: "The findings are good news for the
graduate recruitment industry and great news for graduates themselves."

By Mike Berry