Story perspectives

Student Abroad Plans Rise to 10.2% as Jobs Plummet

6/8/2026

Summary

Students Eye Abroad

High Fliers survey found 10.2% of students plan to work abroad, up from 7.8% in 2024.
The survey interviewed over 15,000 students at universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
27% of respondents had secured a job, the lowest rate since February 2021.
Graduate vacancies on Reed.co.uk fell from 180,000 to 50,000, while a review warned youth unemployment costs the UK £125 bn a year and NEETs will rise to 1.25 million by 2031.

Summary

Graduates Blocked

US grads Meghan Obetz, Daniel Fischer, Michael Sundheim and Olivia Bennett sent hundreds of applications, some to 300-applicant interviews, yet got no replies.
Columbia Business School’s Laura Veldkamp says AI résumé filters often block candidates before any human sees them.
Hilton’s Laura Fuentes urges graduates to broaden job criteria and use personal networks, noting most hires come from connections.
Kenyan farmer Chepkorir Rotich sells produce via social media and a YouTube channel with ~50,000 followers after low-pay contracts.

History

Historical Context

After the 2008 financial crisis cut graduate recruitment, the UK lost more than 2 million jobs by March 2009, pushing many recent graduates into unemployment. Subsequent public-sector cuts and a rise in youth unemployment—14.2 % in early 2025—show how the shock created a lasting shortage of entry-level positions, prompting calls for network-driven hiring reforms.

1 of 3

Students Eye Abroad

High Fliers survey found 10.2% of students plan to work abroad, up from 7.8% in 2024.
The survey interviewed over 15,000 students at universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
27% of respondents had secured a job, the lowest rate since February 2021.
Graduate vacancies on Reed.co.uk fell from 180,000 to 50,000, while a review warned youth unemployment costs the UK £125 bn a year and NEETs will rise to 1.25 million by 2031.

1 / 3