"more graduates are feeling the odds are against them"
According to a survey, over 50% of Asian or British Asian graduates feel disadvantaged when applying for jobs.
Research by Prospects at Jisc found there has been an increase in graduates who believe their ethnic background, gender, social class or disability is hindering their job search.
Its annual Early Careers Survey revealed a rise in respondents feeling disadvantaged during the job application process due to personal characteristics.
The survey revealed that 54% of ethnic minority graduates felt their ethnicity was a disadvantage in the job application process, an increase from 43% in 2023.
When broken down further, over three in five (61%) graduates who identified as black, African, Caribbean, or black British felt this way, compared to 51% in 2023.
Similarly, 53% of Asian or British Asian graduates shared this sentiment, up from 49% the year before.
This data highlights a growing concern among ethnic minority graduates regarding the impact of their ethnicity on job search outcomes.
The survey included over 6,000 students and graduates.
It also suggested that female graduates were more likely (15%) than their male counterparts (10%) to feel disadvantaged because of their gender when applying for jobs.
However, the percentage of males who reported feeling disadvantaged due to their gender is more than double compared to 2023 (4%).
Graduates also reported that they were disadvantaged because of their social class.
Respondents whose parents didn’t go to university were more likely to say they felt held back (26% in 2024, and 24% in 2023) than those with parents who had attended university (17% in 2024, and 15% in 2023).
Chris Rea, a careers expert at Prospects for Jisc, said:
“It’s concerning that more graduates are feeling the odds are against them and that there are stark differences emerging.
“We have also found young people, particularly disadvantaged groups, are struggling with motivation.
“The jobs market is particularly competitive and that could be having an impact on how they’re feeling.”
However, he encouraged graduates not to lose hope.
“While graduates may feel disadvantaged this doesn’t mean they should be demoralised.”
“Most employers strive to be more inclusive and see the benefit of diverse teams and it’s important that we get this message through to young people.
“Employers can help by being transparent about recruitment processes and any support they offer.”
The survey was conducted in January and February, with 6,102 participants, most of whom were either employed or studying at university.
Participants also included secondary school students, sixth formers, college students, apprentices and jobseekers.
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