Graduated...Now what? As university ends, UK graduates face the struggling job market

Young people are finding it harder than ever to secure their first job, with graduates facing an unemployment rate of 12.7%.

Study hard, get a degree, but what comes next? For generations, young people are promised the key to success is a degree, but in today’s society, the promise no longer holds the same weight. After years of academic work, thousands of UK graduates are stepping out of university into a struggling job market, a harsh reality that is leaving many uncertain about their next steps. As of 2025, there are 17.7 million graduates in the UK, and whilst this number reflects well on the increased accessibility to higher education, recent graduates face an unemployment rate of 12.7%. This equates to over 96,000 unemployed graduates each academic year, leaving young graduates struggling to secure their first job.

While competition among UK graduates continues to increase, job vacancies across the UK have declined significantly, with reports of job vacancies reaching their lowest level in nearly four years. According to the ONS, the number of jobs on offer fell to 781,000 in the first three months of 2025. This figure is a harsh reminder that hits home for many graduates, highlighting reduced opportunity. And the bigger picture is not much brighter. Between October and December 2024, the Office for National Statistics reported a worrying increase in the number of 16-24 year olds not in education, employment or training. The data reported shows that an estimated 987,000 young people were not in work or education, this equates to a staggering 13.4% of all 16-24 year olds in the UK.

But how is this truly impacting young people, and how are recent graduates navigating such a tough job market? To learn more, I spoke to Gregory Burke, 22, a 2024 graduate from the University of Southampton. Graduating with a first-class honours degree in Maths and Computer Science last July, Gregory shared his experience navigating the job market, and the challenges that came with it.

When asked about the job hunting process, Gregory explained his use of job boards, stating ‘I’d wake up everyday, and check for any new applications that had become available’. But beyond just finding roles to apply for, Gregory found the process challenging; ‘every employer seems to want a personalised cover letter and CV’ he explains ‘it’s very time consuming because every employer wants different skills’.

‘The biggest challenge was having to prepare something unique for every application, it’s really time consuming’- Gregory Burke

But according to Gregory, the challenges do not stop there, the silence that follows an application is perhaps the hardest part. Gregory admits that he felt both discouraged and overwhelmed by the process stating ‘the large majority of employers don't even reply’. Gregory believes that the absence of feedback from employers has a drastic impact on graduates looking for work, ‘it's really, really disheartening to apply for 10-15 jobs a day, and then come back a week or two later, only to hear nothing.’ he said. ‘It's difficult as a graduate to not receive feedback about what you could do differently’.

Despite the challenges faced during his job search, Gregory has secured a role as a software developer at a small company called Adappt. However, he acknowledges that his path wasn’t straightforward. ‘ I was very lucky to actually know someone at the company who put me forward for recruitment’. His career path highlights the growing importance of personal connections in today’s crowded job market, showing that personal connections provide space in an increasingly competitive job market.

This experience is no different for 23 year old Maisey Muggleton who graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2024, with a 2:1 in Business Management. Maisey also identifies the struggle of trying to find a job post-university, describing the experience as both overwhelming and discouraging. ‘It’s so discouraging when you don’t hear back from jobs, and then see other people you know getting jobs’ she said. ‘It’s hard because it makes you question why am I not getting a job, but other people are? It’s really tough’.

‘You’d apply for hundreds and hundreds of jobs, and only get a reply from ten’- Maisey Muggleton

Maisey has also landed an entry level position as a property manager at HJ Property Management. Maisey credits her summer internship at Colliers for her successful career progression; ‘ I got an internship at Colliers through a family friend, and I definitely think this helped me land a job, as it was more experience to add to my CV’ she said ‘I was very lucky to have the opportunity to complete the internship’. For both Maisey Muggleton and Gregory Burke, knowing the right person and personal connections helped them to land the role. And they’re not alone: data from 2023, shows that just under a third of young employees in the UK get jobs through personal connections.

While Maisey and Gregory have successfully landed roles after university, they are not optimistic about what the future holds for graduates entering today’s job market. When asked if he feels optimistic about the job market, Gregory didn’t hesitate:‘ not at all, I don’t feel optimistic at all, I see year on year, it gets worse and worse’ he said. ‘The competition is growing, it's unsustainable for the growth to continue without an increase in jobs’.

Gregory’s concerns are echoed by Maisey, who further expressed her own concerns about the job market for graduates today. ‘I think there’s just so many graduates out there and not the same amount of job roles’ she said ‘’it's so competitive’.

‘Everyone says to go to uni, you’ll get a job after, but it’s just not that simple’

Regardless of their own concerns, both Gregory and Maisey have clear advice for graduates facing the tough UK job market. Gregory describes the application process as ‘a numbers game’, advising graduates to ‘fire off as many applications as you can’. Maisey agrees with this ‘I would say apply for as many jobs as you can’ she says, adding that while your first job may not be your dream role, gaining experience is crucial. ‘It’s your first job, you may not love it, but it’s best to get experience to add to your CV’.

While student stories highlight the challenges that follow after finishing university, I wanted to change the perspective. What do employers really think about hiring graduates? I spoke to Elisa Spanu, Divisional Assistant and Legal Operations Lead for Mishcon de Reya, to find out how graduates are viewed from the other side of the interview table.

According to Elisa, graduates are increasingly applying for junior roles, and they often are hired. ‘We often see a high number of recent graduates applying for more junior roles’ she said. However Elisa believes that university education doesn’t always prepare graduates for the world of work, specifically for legal operations, Elisa notes ‘there are many types of experiences that can help build transferable skills for a role within this world’, highlighting that education isn’t always the golden ticket to a career, and experience is fundamental.

When asked what Elisa looks for in graduate applicants, Elisa was quick to note that a degree alone isn't what makes a candidate stand out. ‘To be honest, the same skills I would look for in non-graduates’ she said ‘dealing with ambiguity, enthusiasm and commercial acumen’.

‘Experience helps a graduate to stand out’- Elisa Spanu

Graduating is only the beginning for current UK graduates, but in today’s struggling job market, the path after university may not seem straightforward. With endless applications and rejections, it can be overwhelming, but there is hope. Degree in hand, graduates are ready to face the challenge.