2009 Graduates will be facing very poor prospects this summer, the CIPD has warned.
With nearly half of UK companies not planning to recruit graduates, employers are becoming more picky when considering gen-Y applicants.
The latest CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook report shows tough conditions ahead, particularly for school leavers and graduates.
45% of private sector employers are not planning on recruiting graduates this year, and the figures rises to 54% in the voluntary sector.
In comparison, over 66% of public sector employers still plan to take on graduates.
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Gerwyn Davies, public policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said applicants’ would be scrutinised more than before.
“Employers have for a long time had doubts about the employability skills of those leaving education, and this year’s crop face employers in a more choosy mood than ever before”, he said.
Young people with little to no experience could be left waiting for month before finding a job.
“The harsh reality is that it is no longer enough to start thinking about jobs once exams are over,” said Ruth Elwood, head of recruitment at accountancy group KPMG.
“Those who do not already have a place for September are unlikely to find one now, or not in their first choice profession,” she added.
More than 450,000 people under 25-years-old in the UK claim jobseeker’s allowance. In the past year the numbers of those claiming such benefits have increased by 80%, at an expense of £23m to the state, the report said.
