University leavers are increasingly taking jobs for which they
are 'over qualified'
Around 40% of graduates in 2010 were "underemployed" in jobs that
they were over qualified for. This is an increase on 30% of
garduates in the same position last year.
The research was carried out by the Centre for Economics and
Business Research, and published by Association of Accounting
Technicians provides a stark warning that the situation will worsen
for the class of 2011.
Higher fees
It heeds that up to 55% of the next wave of graduates will either
be working in non-graduate jobs, or will be unemployed, six months
after they finish at university.
With the increase in university tuition fees, the research has left
many questioning the value of gaining a degree.
Variations according to degree subject
There are variations between different subject areas, withgraduates
of history and philosophy for example being the most likely to be
"underemployed".
Graduates in other fields such as medicine, dentistry and
veterinary science are the most likely to be in graduate
employment.
The report also looks at graduate unemployment - warning that since
the recession of 2008 "unemployment among new graduates has risen
drastically".
However the study does show that over a longer time period,
university graduates are still much less likely to be unemployed
when compared to the national average rates of unemployment.
Recent graduate job surveys have suggested that the employment
market has begun to improve, after a deep decline during the
financial downturn.