Public sector graduates 'to struggle'

30 October 2009

Graduates are going to struggle to find jobs in the public sector as the effects of reduced government spending kick in, according to the Centre for Cities.

Research by the think tank showed that 52 per cent of all recent UK graduates work in the public sector while nationally just 27 per cent of workers are in the public sector.

This would suggest that public sector graduates would be hardest hit by the recession, with up to 290,000 public sector jobs lost by 2014. Unless more highly skilled jobs are generated in the private sector, cities will continue to see graduate unemployment rise, the think tank warned, with Tyne and Wear, Greater Birmingham and Leeds university graduates suffering most.

Centre for Cities chief executive Dermot Finch said: "In a public spending squeeze UK graduates will continue to find it tough to take their first step on the employment ladder. The public sector will not drive graduate jobs growth over the next decade. This means more private sector job opportunities will be needed to bridge the gap."