NI 'has fewer graduate jobs'

Northern Ireland has 1.6% of the total UK graduate vacancies

Northern Ireland has fewer job vacancies for graduates than anywhere else in the UK, according to a survey.

The Graduate Recruitment Survey, published on Wednesday, also says starting salaries are lower in the province than elsewhere.

The average starting salary in Northern Ireland is £18,000, compared with a £21,000 UK average.

The Association of Graduate Recruiters polled 223 large employers in compiling the survey.

Northern Ireland has 1.6% of total graduate vacancies, in comparison with London's 39.7%.

The number of jobs on offer in the province is down 4.4% on last year's figure.

Alison Hodgson, chair of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said 65% of graduates hired five years ago were still with their first employer.

"The highest retention rates are recorded in the public sector," she said.

"I know in Northern Ireland, the public sector is one of the biggest graduate employers - so it shows that it certainly is a good story to tell.

"But I think we need to be very mindful of the starting salaries gap and how it is going to impact."

Ms Hodgson, who is originally from Northern Ireland, said there were 310,000 students graduating from 100 universities in the UK this year.