Data Digest is Luminate's monthly summary of the key data and developments in the world of higher education, careers advice, graduate recruitment and the labour market
Graduate unemployment at 39-year low
The latest edition of What do graduates do? paints a positive picture of the UK's graduate labour market. 74.3% of graduates were in employment six months after graduating, with the vast majority employed in professional-level roles. Only 5.1% of graduates were unemployed six months after completing their course - the lowest rate of unemployment since 1979. [Luminate]
Brexit invokes worries over graduate job search
The uncertainty surrounding Brexit extends to our understanding of how it will impact the UK higher education sector. Students are anxious, with most expecting to find graduate job-searching harder than before. Thankfully, there are a few ways that careers services can help dispel worries and prepare students. [Luminate]
Graduate salary data varies greatly yet influences decision-making
Graduate salary data is complicated and the conclusions drawn from those analysing it is not uniform. For instance, datasets differ regarding the average graduate starting salary. Nevertheless, understanding salary trends for UK graduates is important as this information often features prominently in decisions made by students, graduates, and employers. [Luminate]
Women with degrees earn more, work more, and pay more tax
According to IFS research published this month, women born in 1970 saw a boost in their net family income, enjoyed increased wages and benefitted from increased likelihood of being in work in their early thirties after graduating with a degree from a higher education institution. [Institute for Fiscal Studies]
Degree inflation among UK graduates is under scrutiny
Increasing numbers of graduates are receiving first class degrees. However, most recruiters still use a 2:1 as the benchmark for considering applications. What's more, rather than favouring certain subjects or universities as a way of distinguishing between applicants with high grades, recruiters are trying to improve the diversity of those they employ by experimenting with various methods, such as anonymous screening. [BBC]
Using LEO data to measure university excellence causes controversy
The Teaching Excellence Framework measures universities on a range of factors including teaching, employability and student support. The decision to use Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data as a metric for measuring this, however, has been met with concern in some circles. It is claimed that LEO's focus on graduate salaries will create an association between university excellence and economic success, to the detriment of other benefits such as learning and development. [The Guardian]
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