20% less vacancies for UK graduates in 2009

The year 2009 will be an annus orribilis for graduate job seekers in the UK.

Data published today in fact shows that vacancies for graduate job seekers in the UK will go down by a fifth, The Independent reports.

This means there will be 7,000 jobs less for students graduating this year, argues The Telegraph.

‘There is understandable panic on campus that this is shaping up to be one of the worst years of the last two decades to be graduating from university,’  says Martin Birchall, managing director of market research company, High Fliers Research, in comments to the BBC.

The Independent also got in touch with Wes Streeting, President of the National Union of Students who said, ‘these figures will be extremely worrying for those who are preparing to graduate in 2009. But it isn’t just graduate jobs which are at risk from the credit crunch. Many students have to work part-time to finance their studies and we may see more of them having to drop out if they lose these jobs.’