What is the scale and impact of graduate overqualification in the UK?
Our report explores how UK graduate employment outcomes have changed over the past three decades and shines a light on job quality of overqualified graduates
Our report explores how UK graduate employment outcomes have changed over the past three decades and shines a light on job quality of overqualified graduates
Over the last 30 years there has been a huge increase in the number of young people going to university, with graduates now making up 42% of the UK workforce. While degree-level qualifications are important for individuals, business and the economy, the growth in graduates has outstripped the creation of highly skilled jobs. This means that more and more graduates are now finding themselves in roles that would previously have been filled by non-graduates.
In this report, we analyse the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) Labour Force Survey data from 1992 and 2022 as well as the CIPD’s Good Work Index survey data to explore the extent of graduate overqualification and skills mismatch in the UK labour market and the impact this has on job creation and productivity in the workplace.
The UK Government has recognised the need for a more balanced offer of both academic and vocational pathways. However, further actions are needed, including:
The role employers play in this is of equal importance. Employers should adapt recruitment behaviour to:
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