Graduates struggle to find work thanks to recruitment scheme backlog

ONE in three graduates fear they will still be out of work in six months' time as competition for jobs remains high, according to a new report.

A survey of almost 500 recent graduates also showed that most would not have been able to study at university if tuition fees had been twice their current level.

Two-thirds of those questioned by jobs website Totaljobs.com believed they would not have been able to afford fees if they were doubled to 6,000 a year.

A third of graduates were drawing Jobseeker's Allowance, with many claiming benefits for at least six months. Around 35 per cent of those surveyed blamed their university for failing to equip them for work, and two-fifths regretted their choice of degree course.

Mike Fetters, of Totaljobs.com, said: "Whilst graduate recruitment schemes from big firms have reopened, they aren't as large as they were before 2008.

"There is a backlog of graduates who have struggled to find work, meaning competition is very high."