Employers to boost graduate jobs by record nine per cent in 2019 despite Brexit concerns

The UK’s top employers are set to boost graduate jobs by a record nine per cent this year despite growing uncertainty over Brexit.

The country’s leading 100 graduate employers have indicated a surge in recruitment could be on the horizon in 2019, according to a report conducted by research firm High Fliers.

It comes after a drop in graduate vacancies in 2017 following the EU referendum and a modest 4.3 per cent last year.

A record number of employers – 13 per cent – will now provide starting salaries of more than £40,000, while law firms have increased the starting salary of trainees for the fifth consecutive year to £45,000, the report found.

BP, Barclays, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Unilever, PwC and the NHS were among the firms surveyed for the report.

The investment banking sector is set to offer the most generous salaries, with an average of £47,000, followed by law and consulting firms at £45,000 and oil and energy companies at £38,500.

The median starting salary for graduates among the leading employers remained at £30,000.

Managing director of High Fliers Research and the report’s author Martin Birchall said: “Our latest research shows that despite all the continuing uncertainty over Brexit, the UK’s top employers are planning to recruit a record number of new graduates in 2019.

“The growth in graduate vacancies for 2019 is the highest for nine years and there are more opportunities than ever before for university undergraduates to do paid work experience with the country’s leading employers.”