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Graduates leaving university will be entering into a prosperous labour market after latest research has revealed that a record number of graduates are in full time work.

Research by Prospects revealed that almost 200,000 or 76.6% of graduates from the 2013/2014 cohort are in work in Britain, an increase from 2014’s 75.6%.

Booming graduate job market

Meanwhile, graduate unemployment is also on the decrease, falling in the last 12 months from 7.3% in 2012/2013 to just 6.3%.

While the graduate unemployment rates haven’t quite met pre-recession levels, the report does highlight an improved jobs market, with more graduates than ever before entering “professional level” careers.

According to the report, 68.2% of graduates are in a professional role that required their degree; 2% higher than last year.

Interestingly, the report also analysed what sectors graduates are entering into, revealing a number of striking differences in different industries.

The civil engineering sector has one of the highest rates of graduate employment just six months after graduation – with a staggering 70% of recent graduates landing a job in the industry.

Meanwhile, sports science graduates also enjoy the lowest level of unemployment after graduation, with just 4.3% not working.

A positive insight

Charlie Ball, Head of Higher Education Intelligence at Prospects, commented on the report’s findings and noted the results were positive for graduates and the best it’s been since the recession, with most graduates landing their first role quickly.

While the number of graduate jobs have increased over the past few years, it doesn’t mean that these youngsters can “just walk into a job”; they still have to work extremely hard, he added.

Eluned Jones, Director of Student Employability at the University of Birmingham, noted that it’s encouraging to see such great results, which highlight the commitment of everyone that’s working hard to boost graduate employment.

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