Graduates leaving university found it harder in 2011 to get jobs than students finishing A-level courses

Latest jobs data shows 25% of 21-year-olds that left university with a degree were unemployed.

Only 20% of school leavers with A-levels were unemployed, compared to 25% of those that have graduated according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS figures also show that it is easier for older graduates to find work as only 5% of 24-year-olds were unemployed.

Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit commented that the figures were misleading as the number of people leaving with A-levels was smaller than the number graduating. He also commented that the graduate jobs market had "hardly returned to its state pre-recession", but most of those leaving university were likely to get jobs within six months.

"Although the number of young people out of work is historically high, the graduate unemployment rate in this recession has not reached the levels it did in the 1980s or 1990s,"

Many students will look at the recent figures on graduate jobs and will have to think longer and harder on whether a degree is the better option for career development. However recent research into graduate careers by Skandia has suggested that they still earn a premium over the course of their career. Graduates can on average earn £1.6m over a working career of 45 years, whilst an 18-year-old can earn £1m over 48 years. A 16-year-old will earn around £783,964 over 49.5 years.

The TUC's general secretary, Brendan Barber, said the figures showed the importance of higher qualifications in helping young people into work. But he added: "With ministers putting up fresh barriers to higher education by hiking tuition fees and scrapping the EMA, the scar of mass joblessness that is hitting today's youngsters could follow some of them into their late 20s or even 30s.

"The government's cut-price work experience scheme is woefully ill-equipped to deal with the scale of our jobs crisis. Young people need tailored support and experience of proper paid jobs to give them the best possible chance of moving into work."

Source: Pareto.co.uk, Monday 28th February 2012