UK Training Industry Press Releases

Brighter outlook for graduates as vacancy numbers increase for first time since recession began

 Employers report 8.9% rise, indicating that the market has turned the corner

• Upward trend predicted to continue in 2010/11
• Average graduate salary static at £25,000 for unprecedented third year
• Employers holding back financial incentives as demand for jobs still outstrips supply
• Recruiters anticipate less socio-economic diversity and higher salary expectations as result of Browne Review

The number of graduate vacancies rose in last year's recruitment season for the first time since the recession started to bite, according to the Association of Graduate  Recruiters (AGR), which published the winter edition of its bi-annual survey today (Tuesday 25 January)

Despite a slow start to the recruitment year 2009/10, leading to initially pessimistic forecasts, employers reported a surge in graduate vacancies in the closing months, resulting in an 8.9% rise in vacancies on the previous recruitment round. This upward trend is predicted to continue with a further increase of 3.8% in 2010/11.

However despite a brighter outlook in terms of vacancies, the median graduate starting salary was fixed at £25,000 for the second year in a row in 2009/2010 and is predicted to remain stagnant for an unprecedented third year.

Many graduate employers will also be holding back other financial incentives for graduates in 2010/11, with only one quarter likely to reward successful candidates with a lump sum payment and approximately two-thirds (67.8%)  saying that they do not intend to offer education premiums.

Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive of the AGR, said: "It is heartening to see that after so many months of misery for graduates, the job market is finally picking up. Our members represent a broad and competitive segment of employers within the UK economy and these results signal that the graduate market is overcoming the impact of the recession and anticipating further growth."

"However, the fact that salaries are predicted to remain the same for a third year and fewer employers are offering financial incentives for graduates, is also evidence that the demand for jobs still greatly outstrips supply and recruiters continue to receive above and beyond the number of applications they require.

"Although it is currently an employers' market, we would urge recruiters not to become complacent - particularly as things start to pick up and tuition fee increases take hold. It will be essential for organisations to invest in graduate talent if they want to meet recruitment targets, prevent candidate dropout, meet increasing salary expectations and retain the most talented employees."

Reflecting on the implications of the Browne Review, AGR recruiters anticipate that salary expectations will increase due to higher tuition fees and also that the pool of graduates from which they recruit will include fewer people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. On the whole, however, they do not tend to believe that the Browne Review will result in any adverse changes to the quality of degree courses of interest to their organisation and sector.

Other findings:

• Employer recruitment marketing budgets have remained steady at £20,000 (average figure per organisation) and are not expected to significantly increase
• Candidate dropout due to simultaneous applications at multiple organisations is deemed as the most likely challenge to meeting recruitment targets

Today's edition is based on the responses of 222 AGR members in the UK across 18 sectors who offered a total of 20,971 graduate vacancies in 2010.

[ENDS]

For more press information, please contact Rebecca Griffiths, or Scarlett Yianni, Colman Getty, on 020 7631 2666 / 07792568421 rebeccagriffiths/scarlett/amy@colmangetty.co.uk

* This year's recruitment season October 2009 - June 2010

• Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive of AGR, is available for limited interviews. Contact Colman Getty
• Press copies of the report are available on request from Colman Getty. The full report is available free to AGR members and is available to non-members priced £200, visit www.agr.org.uk for further details
• The AGR is the leading voice of graduate recruiters and developers and its bi-annual survey provides the most extensive and detailed insight into the state of the graduate jobs market
• The AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey was conducted by CFE on behalf of the AGR in November 2010
• The AGR is the recognised national voice for all UK employers involved in graduate recruitment. The AGR has 750 members from both the public and private sectors. To find out more about AGR membership, visit www.agr.org.uk and click on ‘Join AGR' or call 01926 623 236.
• CFE are research and consultancy specialists in employment and skills. CFE has been providing expert services to public and private sector clients for over twelve years. With over 35 dedicated staff, they work on behalf of government departments and agencies, local authorities, colleges, universities and employers. www.cfe.org.uk