Recruitment - UK graduate market gets ever more competitive.

(From Reinsurance)

The graduate job market continues to grow in the UK, according to research published by the AGR (Association of Graduate Recruiters). Its survey of some of the UK's biggest employers shows that the number of graduate positions is predicted to increase for the second year running, this year by 14.5%. Last year vacancies rose by 15.5%. Graduate salaries also continue to rise. Graduate employers are expecting to pay new graduates a median starting salary of GBP22,000 in 2005 - an increase of 4.8% on last year, the biggest predicted increase for five years.

The results are dominated by a huge increase in both salaries and vacancies in the accountancy sector, where graduate starting salaries in some parts of the UK are predicted to exceed GBP25,000 for the first time.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the AGR, said: "The findings of our survey should bring a smile to the faces of final-year students and recent graduates looking to enter graduate-level employment this summer. Significant increases in vacancies this year, building on a substantial increase last year, suggest that business confidence is high across most sectors."

He argues that the survey also suggests that competition for the best graduates is intensifying among recruiters. "Some employers find that they are not receiving as many high-quality applications as they need to fill their increased recruitment targets."