A third of UK graduates 'have claimed jobseeker's allowance'

More than a third of UK graduates claimed jobseeker's allowance in the past year because of tough employment conditions, "shocking" new research revealed today.

A survey of 500 recent graduates by recruitment website totaljobs.com showed that only six per cent had found a graduate job, with two-thirds taking work just to pay bills.

Half of the graduates seeking the allowance in the last year claimed for longer than six months.

Totaljobs said the "shocking" results came on the back of recent official figures showing that nearly 150,000 graduates removed themselves from the labour market by undertaking further study to delay joining the world of work.

Mike Fetters, graduate sales director at totaljobs.com, said: "Having invested heavily in securing a decent degree, it is not unreasonable for graduates to feel they deserve a job that matches their career expectations.

"Unfortunately competition for professional roles has never been fiercer, and students who have failed to prepare carefully through extra-curricular activities and early engagement with employers are simply not making the grade." The contrast between job expectations before and after graduation was said to be "stark".

The average graduate salary was currently £25,000, but for those still at university, a "worrying" one in 10 believed they would earn over £35,000 in their first job, said the report.

Only half of those polled had made full use of their university careers advisory service, with 60 per cent of those saying it had failed them.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said: "Over half of all young people claiming JSA come off within three months - and all the indications are that graduates come off even sooner."