On the back of the revelation of a double-dip recession and fresh concerns about the state of our fragile economy, graduates are facing an increasingly turbulent job climate in which their degrees are devalued and they are forced into labour which doesn't utilise the skills which a university education has equipped them with. While many graduates are leaving university with the ambition to partake in skilled labour, many of them are having to come to terms with the reality that these particular career paths are hugely oversubscribed with qualified applicants and that the majority of available employment lies in the lower-skilled area of the labour market, comprising such jobs a waiting tables, bartending or working in retail. While these jobs are vital in providing short term relief for financial worries, they neither provide sufficient financial rewards, clear career trajectories nor do they maximise the potential of their workers to the fullest extent. David Cameron has quibbled over the exact cause of Britain's relapse into recession, a 0.2% drop in the first three months of 2012 to be exact, however regardless of the exact cause, it is clear that things do not bode well for graduates.
According to recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics, during the final quarter of 2001 graduate unemployment ran at a rate of 18%, nearly fifth of all graduates! This raw data will not give a full insight into the graduate picture, many people may well intentionally be maintaining their unemployment status as a means of staying financially afloat while their actual agenda may not immediately be focused on procuring a job; they may be looking into further study or travelling abroad for example. However, the statistics still paint a bleak portrait of the employment landscape in which many areas of work are freezing their recruitment schemes until the labour market recovers and they are able to proceed amidst the financial market with a stronger sense of confidence.
Taking low-skilled labour jobs are a good way of demonstrating willingness, perseverance and an ability to manipulate your specific skill set to be functional within various fields. However, most graduates will agree that these jobs are only intended for the short-term and will hope their university qualifications will suffice to the extent that they will eventually be able to drag themselves onto the employment ladder in an area which is more suited to their academically honed skill sets. Until the government is able to pull the country back out of recession and to balance their austere economic measures with a focus on improving employment opportunities, graduates may have to just bide their time, wait tables to their best of their ability and continue to persevere until the right opportunity presents itself. Life is a marathon not a sprint and these things take time.
Tom B, GRB Journalist
