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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Monday, 7 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Graduates: Vacancies

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the finding from the Adzuna UK Job Market Report, published on 31 July 2026, that there has been a 45.6% year-on-year reduction in graduate vacancies.

Answer

The Adzuna report provides one indicator of conditions in the market for advertised graduate roles. The department considers that evidence from a range of sources should be used to establish the full picture of graduate outcomes and the wider labour market.

Updated research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and the 2026 Longitudinal Education Outcomes data shows that higher education continues to offer good value for money for most students, with graduates expected to be on average around £100,000 better off over their lifetime than someone who does not go to university. It also shows that rates of individuals in sustained employment, further study, or both remain consistently higher amongst graduates than amongst those with no higher level qualification, across all combinations of subject area, gender and prior GCSE attainment.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
27758
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Graduates Vacancies
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk