At this stage in the economic cycle – with expected UK 2023 growth of only 0.3 per cent – here at the Institute of Student Employers (SE) we’d expect employers to reduce graduate recruitment hiring.
But they’ve not.
ISE’s annual Student Recruitment Survey shows that graduate recruitment grew by 6 per cent in 2022-23. The current recruitment season looks pretty healthy too as employers expect to increase graduate hires by 5 per cent in 2023-24.
School and college leaver hiring proved even more resilient. In 2022-23 hiring increased by 20 per cent, although school and college leaver growth comes from a lower base – ISE members hire three times as many graduates.
Whilst employer demand for student talent fluctuates year-on-year by sector, overall demand for a pipeline of skilled employees continues to grow. Evidence suggests that by 2035 the economy will need 2.6m more people in work. UUK have estimated that the UK will need to produce 11 million more graduates by 2035.
