More UK Male Graduates Unemployed than Women: Study

More male graduates in the U.K. were out of jobs than women graduates for at least six months after graduation in 2011-12, according to figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

The agency arrived at the conclusion after observing over 400,000 graduates who passed out of university, last summer. They found that about nine per cent of males were jobless for six months after leaving the university when compared to the six per cent of women, unemployed.

Even though men found it difficult to find jobs immediately, their salaries were reported to be higher. About 32 percent of the men earned an average annual salary of $39,00, while only 18 percent of the women earned that much.

When the agency analysed the figures in detail, students from dentistry or medicine backgrounds were all employed. The study also found that 11 percent of those who studied creative arts were on the dole. The highest job loss statistics was recorded among students who took up courses in computer science with 14 per cent.

Around 54,435 students were employed in professional occupations including vets, dentists, pharmacists, engineers, teachers and solicitors.

Based on the overall figures, 67 per cent of UK and EU university leavers were employed full time; seven percent combined work with higher studies; 14 percent of them enrolled in a post graduate course and 7 percent were without a job.

More than 36 percent of new graduates took up jobs that did not require a degree in 2011-12. Around 9,695 people were working in 'elementary occupations' such as office juniors, hospital porters, waiters, bartenders, road sweepers, window cleaners, shelf stackers and lollipop men and women.

Majority of the graduates were seen working in factories and sales and customer services. In total, 745 of them were working in factories or plants and 21,025 were working as sales assistant, caretaker, market trader and call centers.

"Six months is a relatively short time to make a judgment about the value of getting a degree and the occupations which graduates will enter in the future. However, these statistics confirm that even in a very difficult labour market studying for a degree on a full-time or a part-time basis remains one of the best ways of securing employment and a career," Professor Michael Gunn, chair of the university group million+ and vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University said.