Graduate job vacancies drop by almost 50% in a year
Graduate job vacancies in the UK have dropped by nearly 50% compared to last year, reaching their lowest level since 2016. Employers are citing rising costs and the adoption of AI as primary reasons for cutting entry-level roles.
Why it matters
This trend highlights a growing youth unemployment crisis and the potential long-term economic impact of AI integration on entry-level career paths.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Adzuna said the number of graduate vacancies was the lowest since it started recording in 2016
The number of graduate jobs has fallen almost in half in the past year, according to new figures, as employers cut entry-level roles in favour of AI and battle rising costs.
Jobs website Adzuna said it had just 8,383 graduate vacancies listed in July, down from 15,397 at the same point last year.
Adzuna also found competition among job seekers across all levels is rising, with an average of 2.14 job seekers per vacancy in July, up from 1.93 a year earlier.
Businesses have said employer national insurance and minimum wage hikes have made hiring more expensive, particularly for junior staff.
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