Early Careers Employer Survey Publication 2025

Graduate Vacancies and Hiring Environment 2025/26 Our survey reveals that a strong majority of employers, 88%, expect graduate vacancies in 2025/26 to either increase or remain steady compared to 2024. Specifically, 59% anticipate no change (consistent with last year), while 29% expect an increase (slightly down from 30% in 2024). In contrast, 12% foresee a decrease in graduate opportunities, unchanged from the previous year. When asked about the anticipated hiring environment over the coming year, 52% of employers expect it to remain the same—up slightly from 49% last year. Meanwhile, 43% believe it will become more challenging, a slight improvement from 46% in 2024. Just 5% anticipate that hiring will become easier, unchanged from last year. These insights suggest a stable yet competitive graduate employment landscape, where proactive recruitment strategies and strong employer branding will be key to attracting top talent.

Remain the same

#1

They will be higher

#2

They will be lower

#3 29% 59% 12%

Expected Level of Graduate Vacancies over the next 12 months

16