Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessGraduatesRecruitment & retention

Graduate vacancies could drop by 7% this year, AGR survey reveals

by Kat Baker 6 Jul 2010
by Kat Baker 6 Jul 2010

Graduate vacancies will drop by nearly 7% this year, according to latest research from the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR).

The biannual graduate vacancy survey has found graduate recruiters expect the number of jobs they offer in 2010 to drop by 6.9%, which comes after an 8.9% fall in jobs for university leavers last year.

The drop off in vacancies has led to a rise in the number of applications for each graduate job, with employers now receiving on average 69 applications for every position â€“ the highest ever recorded and up from 49 in 2009.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the AGR, told Personnel Today he was “disappointed” with the figures.

He said: “I was hoping after last year’s fall we might have turned a corner, but we are still surrounded by economic uncertainty and this has an impact in business when it comes to investing in the recruitment of graduate talent.”

But he added the figures “could be worse” and despite the overall drop in vacancies for university leavers, some sectors had increased their intake this year.

The banking and financial sectors expect to see a 72% rise in the number of graduates they hire this year, while insurance businesses predicted a 53.3% increase. Consulting and business services firms also expect to see a 52.3% rise in vacancies.

But in comparison, the fast-moving consumer goods sector is looking to reduce graduate vacancies by 45.4%, while IT, telecommunication and retail will reduce opportunities by 31.4%.

Public sector employers also expected graduate opportunities to drop by 9.7%.

But Gilleard warned the drop in graduate jobs in the public sector this year was likely to be “just the tip of the iceberg”. He said government cutbacks will worsen graduate recruitment prospects in the sector further and could also make the graduate jobs market as a whole “remain tight for another year or two”.

“The public sector has been a major source of employment for graduates,” he said. “If the public sector is squeezed and there’s a freeze on employment, that will have an impact on the prospects for graduates. That’s the cloud on the horizon.”

Last week, the Higher Education Careers Services Unit warned public sector cuts could increase graduate unemployment to 25%.

The AGR survey also found 78% of graduate recruiters now insist on all candidates having at least a 2.1 university degree – up from 67% in 2008 – because of the number of applications they are receiving.

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

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

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

Gilleard said: “It is hardly surprising the number of employers asking for a 2.1 degree has shot up by 11%. However, while this approach does aid the sifting process, it can rule out promising candidates with the right work skills unnecessarily. We are encouraging our members to look beyond the degree classification when narrowing down the field of candidates to manageable proportions.”

The survey of 199 graduate recruiters, who collectively offer a total of 17,920 graduate vacancies, also found the median graduate starting salary has remained static at the 2008 level of £25,000.

Kat Baker

previous post
Bullhorn UK celebrates first birthday with three contract wins
next post
Comet fined over labourer’s death after fall from roof

You may also like

Company director wins £15k after being told to...

4 Jul 2025

Skills shortfall in construction threatens housing target

4 Jul 2025

MPs demand Home Office tightens visas to protect...

4 Jul 2025

It’s all about the Monet: how art transforms...

3 Jul 2025

Stop chasing quick fixes: return to the office...

3 Jul 2025

Asda hails major upgrade in employees’ benefits

3 Jul 2025

100% success for latest large-scale four-day week trial

3 Jul 2025

NHS 10-year Health Plan sets out vision for...

3 Jul 2025

Microsoft to cut 9,000 jobs globally as role...

3 Jul 2025

Decline in workplace deaths: falls from height remain...

3 Jul 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+