Graduate job vacancies have fallen by almost half in the space of a year, according to a survey by job site Adzuna reported by BBC Business. Adzuna said the number of available graduate positions had dropped to its lowest level since 2016.
The reported annual decline suggests a marked contraction in the graduate vacancies measured by the job site. The comparison with 2016 indicates that the current level is lower than at any point covered since that year, rather than representing only a small short-term movement.
Important details about the findings are not included in the supplied evidence. The underlying number of vacancies, the precise percentage decline and the period used for the annual comparison have not been provided. It is also not yet clear from the available information which sectors, occupations or locations contributed most to the fall.
The evidence does not identify the reasons for the decline or say whether all graduate roles were affected equally. Without Adzuna’s full methodology, it is also not possible to determine from the supplied information whether the measure covers all vacancies in the wider labour market or only listings captured by the job site.
Even with those limitations, the scale of the reported fall is significant for people assessing the availability of graduate openings. Further data would be needed to establish the total number of jobs still being advertised and whether the decline is concentrated in particular parts of the market.