Graduates still more likely to be employed
Media Release
6th October, 2009
Graduates Still More Likely to Be Employed
Graduates from Irish higher education institutions were more likely to be in employment than non-graduates in 2008, according to a new report from the Higher Education Authority. ‘What Do Graduates Do? The class of 2007” reveals that only 3% of Honours Bachelor Degree graduates who responded were seeking employment nine months after graduation up from 2% in the previous year. The increase in unemployment reflects the start of the global recession in 2008. It is important to note however that at this time the national unemployment rate was 5.5% clearly indicating the advantage of obtaining a third level qualification prior to entry into the labour market. For the report, higher education institutions surveyed their 2007 graduates in April 2008.
The report also revealed that graduates salaries increase with higher qualifications. The average initial starting salary for an Honours Bachelor Degree graduate was €21,000-24,999 while the average initial starting salary for a PhD graduate was €45,000+. Honours Bachelor Degree graduates working in
HEA Chief Executive,
“These figures confirm the benefits of a third level education to the individual. Quite simply, a graduate is more likely to find sustainable employment and to be better paid than a non-graduate.”
The survey showed that the public sector is the most common sector of employment for graduates of all levels. The 2007 survey shows that there has been a significant drop in the numbers reporting employment in the Building and Construction sector.
Preliminary results for the 2008 survey which shows the situation of graduates in April 2009 are showing that employment opportunities for graduates have deteriorated over the course of the year with significant increases in the numbers seeking employment. However the figures are showing that the proportion seeking employment is still lower than the national average indicating the importance of gaining a third level qualification. Allied with this increase in graduate unemployment is an increase in the numbers progressing in education either at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
The full report is available at www.hea.ie .
ENDS
For further information, contact -
Head of Communications,
Higher Education Authority
mbyrne@hea.ie
(01) 2317162
(086) 2237102