One in 10 graduates from some institutions stay jobless

NEARLY ONE in 10 graduates of some universities are still unemployed 15 months after leaving higher education, official figures show.

Overall, data shows that, of young people leaving fulltime undergraduate courses in 2017/18, around four per cent of UK graduates were out of work more than a year after leaving university.

But new figures, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa), show that the proportion of graduates unemployed 15 months after graduation is almost 10 per cent at some institutions.

Of the non-specialist universities, Soas University of London had the highest proportion, nine per cent, of UK graduates out of work after leaving full-time courses, once significant interim study was excluded.

The proportion of UK graduates still unemployed more than a year after leaving higher education was also high at the University of East London (eight per cent), the London Metropolitan University (eight per cent), University College Birmingham (seven per cent) and Bradford University (seven per cent), according to the latest Hesa data.

The survey, which looked at data of 361,215 graduates, also looked at outcomes by degree subject and it found graduates of computer science and law have some of the highest unemployment rates.

Rachel Hewitt, director of policy and advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), said the findings show that most graduates are in “a positive position” 15 months after they leave university.

She said: “Although one in 10 graduates are unemployed at this stage, this may be partly counteracted by the fact some of these graduates will just be leaving a Masters course.”