Prospects for graduates finishing university this year have significantly improved from 12 months ago, new research has claimed.
More opportunities are now available to graduates than last year with a 16.3% rise in the number of advertised graduate jobs noted in May alone.
The total number of available roles across all UK markets also increased in over the past month, rising by 2.4% and staying above the one million mark, while on a yearly basis the latest levels of job availability are nearly 30% higher.
New approaches to hiring
This provides a much broader range of opportunities to fresh graduates – although there are certain factors to be considered.
The massive increase in entry level roles, for example, has pushed down average overall salaries to around £34,000 per annum although the latest Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Labour Market Statistics report claim firms are increasing their pay packets.
Employers are tending to focus on rewarding current staff rather than attracting new candidates and after three months of small reductions, those already in employment are encouraged to stay put to appreciate the benefits on offer.
Given that a new wave of graduates are set to join the job hunt, the rising number of vacancies is a welcome boost as it provides them with a number of opportunities.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna who completed the research, explained that employers are looking to enhance their junior staff numbers and looking to the future when it comes to recruitment.
He said that a different approach to the recruitment process is being taken as employers move from “the short term firefighting tactics of the early recovery” to “steady investment in our future talent”.
While this impacts on overall salary levels, it also increases the likelihood of finding work amongst those who are fresh from university.
This may not have an immediate impact on how people are living, but it does provide a solid foundation for future growth, especially among the graduate talent pool.
If you are a graduate looking for an opportunity in the job market, then Discovery Graduates can help you on your way
