HESA Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions reveals: Reduction in rate of unemployment for recent graduates

Data from the newly released HESA Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions 2006/07 publication shows that unemployment among recent first degree graduates continues to fall.

The publication, produced from the fifth annual Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Survey, reveals that 5.6% of first degree graduates were "assumed to be unemployed*" six months after gaining their qualification in the 2006/07 academic year. This compares with a figure of 6.1% for those who qualified in 2005/06.

The percentage of leavers assumed to be unemployed varied according to the subject studied. 9.7% of Computer science first degree qualifiers who responded to the survey were assumed to be unemployed, compared with just 0.2% of qualifiers from Medicine and dentistry.

The table below shows the rate of unemployment for different subject areas over the last five years:

The percentage of leavers assumed to be unemployed also varied according to the class of degree awarded. 3.7% of first degree qualifiers who gained a first class degree were assumed to be unemployed after six months, compared with 9.9% of those awarded a third.

The table below shows the rate of unemployment for different degree classifications over the last five years:

The HESA Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions 2006/07 reference volume provides detailed coverage of the DLHE survey results, including analysis of data by mode and level of study completed, further study after graduation, and industrial and occupational classification of employment. Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions 2006/07 is available for purchase for £50 + VAT at £5.95 from the HESA sales desk by calling (01242) 211155. Back issues of this publication are also available for purchase.

Further information is available online or from the HESA Press Office on 01242 211120.

Notes for Editors

1. Press enquiries should be directed to:
   
   • Simon Kemp
   • HESA Press Officer
   • 01242 211120
   • [email protected]
   • 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ.
2. In the above data 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5.
3. Percentages in the tables above include both full and part-time first degree qualifiers, but exclude those who explicitly refused to give information.
4. ‘Lower second class degrees' includes ‘undivided' second class honours.
5. * ‘Assumed to be unemployed' includes those students who gave their employment circumstances as unemployed and looking for employment, further study or training, and who were also either in part-time study, training or research or not studying, plus those who were due to start a job within the next month and who were also either in part-time study, training or research or not studying
6. HESA data is collected from all publicly funded Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK, plus the University of Buckingham, which is a non-publicly-funded institution. The 2006/07 data covers 169 HEIs (133 in England, 12 in Wales, 20 in Scotland and 4 in Northern Ireland).
7. HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.
8. Definitions of the terms used in this press release follow:
   

   DLHE definitions

   Coverage

   The HESA Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) target population contains all United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) domiciled students reported to HESA for the reporting period 1 August 2006 to 31 July 2007 as obtaining relevant qualifications and whose study was full-time or part-time (including sandwich students and those writing-up theses). Awards from dormant status are not included in the target population. The coverage differs from the population used in previous years for the First Destination Supplement (FDS) in a number of ways. Notably, those who obtained any of the relevant qualifications following part-time study are now included, together with those obtaining postgraduate diplomas and certificates (full-time or part-time).

   Relevant qualifications for inclusion in the DLHE return are postgraduate degrees, postgraduate diplomas and certificates, Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCE), first degrees (excludes intercalated degrees), Diplomas of Higher Education (DipHE), Certificates of Higher Education (CertHE), foundation degrees, Higher National Diplomas (HND) or Higher National Certificates (HNC). The population for the DLHE return does not necessarily represent the full cohort graduating during the reporting period; examples of those excluded are professional qualifications (e.g. associate membership or membership of a body such as the Institute of Bankers) and undergraduate diplomas and certificates (other than foundation degrees, HND, DipHE, HNC and CertHE).

   The reference dates for the 2006/07 DLHE return were 16 April 2007 (if the leaver obtained the qualification between 1 August 2006 and 31 December 2006) and 14 January 2008 (if the leaver obtained the qualification between 1 January 2007 and 31 July 2007).

   Rounding strategy

   Due to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998, HESA implements a strategy inpublished and released tabulations designed to prevent the disclosure of personal information about any individual. These tabulations are derived from the HESA non-statutory populations and may differ slightly from those published by related statutory bodies. This strategy involves rounding all numbers to the nearest 5. A summary of this strategy is as follows:

   • 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0
   • All other numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.

   So for example 3 is represented as 5, 22 is represented as 20, 3286 is represented as 3285 while 0, 20, 55, 3510 remain unchanged.

   Level of qualification obtained

   First degrees are first degrees, first degrees with eligibility to register to practice (doctor/dentist/veterinary surgeon), first degrees with qualified teacher status (QTS)/registration with the General Teaching Council (GTC), enhanced first degrees and first degrees obtained concurrently with diplomas.

   Classification of first degrees

   The classification of an undergraduate degree indicates the qualification class that the student obtained. Certain qualifications obtained at first degree level are not subject to classification of award, notably medical and general degrees. These, together with ordinary degrees, have been included within the unclassified category. Third class honours, fourth class honours and the pass category have been aggregated. Lower second and undivided second class honours have been aggregated.

   Employment categories

   In the DLHE survey leavers are able to report separately what they are doing in relation to both employment and study and a matrix of possible outcomes is constructed. This matrix is used to define the key categories of outcomes such as employed and unemployed.

   As leavers report separately what they are doing in relation to employment and further study, it is possible to be involved in either employment only, further study only or employment and further study. Therefore where the terms employment and further study are used, it is important to note that:

   • Employment includes those in employment only, and those in both employment and further study
   • Further study includes those in further study only, and those in both employment and further study.

   Matrix of standard categories for publication from DLHE

   Employment circumstances	Full-time study (1)	Part-time study (2)	Not in study (3)
   Employed full-time in paid work (01)	D	D	A
   Employed part-time in paid work (02)	D	D	B
   Self-employed/freelance (03)	D	D	A
   Voluntary work/other unpaid work (15)	D	D	C
   Permanently unable to work/retired (16)	G	G	G
   Temporarily sick or unable to work/looking after the home or family (17)	E	E	G
   Taking time out in order to travel (10)	G	G	G
   Due to start a job within the next month (11)	E	F	F
   Unemployed and looking for employment, further study or training (12)	E	F	F
   Not employed but NOT looking for employment, further study or training (13)	E	E	O
   Something else (14)	E	E	O
   Question not answered (XX)	X	X	X

   The values in brackets refer to valid values recorded for Employment Circumstances (field 5) and Study Circumstances (field 6) in the DLHE record.

   Publication categories

   Full-time paid work	A
   Part-time paid work	B
   Voluntary/unpaid work only	C
   Work & further study	D
   Further study only	E
   Assumed to be unemployed	F
   Not available for employment	G
   Other	O
   Explicit refusal	X

   * Unemployment

   Assumed to be unemployed includes those students who gave their employment circumstances as unemployed and looking for employment, further study or training, and who were also either in part-time study, training or research or not studying, plus those who were due to start a job within the next month and who were also either in part-time study, training or research or not studying

   Subject areas

   In 2002/03 a new subject classification was introduced called the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS). This subject classification looks similar to that previously published but has been devised in a different way. Therefore subject data is not comparable to that previously published.

   Additionally, from 2002/03, a new procedure of apportionment has been introduced. Under apportionment, each headcount is, where necessary, divided in a way that in broad-brush terms reflects the pattern of a split programme. This is analogous to the use of FTE calculations, but should not be confused with them, since the splits used for apportionment are conventional rather than data-based.

   For split programmes not involving an initial teacher training (ITT) component, the apportionment algorithm is as follows:

   • 50%:50% for a balanced two-way split
   • 66.667%:33.333% for a major/minor two-way split
   • 33.333%:33.333%:33.333% for a balanced three-way split.

   ITT students at undergraduate level who also have a specialism subject recorded (typically, secondary ITT students) are apportioned 50% to the ‘Education' subject area and the remaining 50% is further apportioned according to the algorithm for non-ITT students. Where no subject other than education is recorded, or where the student is on a PGCE course, apportionment is 100% to the ‘Education' subject area.

   The 19 broad subject areas have been retained. Further details can be found here.

Ends