High-level graduates get work

Women are more likely to be employed

Graduate unemployment is highest among those who achieve the lowest grades, a study suggests.

A poll of people who graduated from UK universities in 2005/6 found those with the highest degrees were more likely to be in work.

6.4% were said to be unemployed, according to the study by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa).

Women had a higher rate of employment, with 5.1% not in work six months after graduating compared to 8.1% of men.

The overall rate reflects a slight fall on the previous year, when 6.6% of students were out of work six months after graduating.

According to the study of 188,000 people, graduates achieving the lowest degree classifications were around two and a half times more likely to be unemployed six months after graduating than those obtaining firsts.

Among those with a first class degree, 4.4% were believed to be unemployed, while among those with upper seconds, the rate was 5.7%

Of graduates with third class degrees, 11.3% were unemployed; for those with lower seconds, the rate was 8.1%.

The lowest rates of unemployment were among leavers with degrees which are not subject to classification - where just 3.5% of graduates were assumed to be unemployed.

These degrees include medicine and dentistry - where numbers are limited by quota - and veterinary science.

The latest data shows that just 0.2% of first degree qualifiers in medicine and dentistry were assumed to be unemployed, while the figure for veterinary science was 2.1%.