TimesLive reports that graduate unemployment has dropped significantly since 2001 when 18% of graduates could not find jobs and the latest figures from 2011 show that just 5% of graduates are without jobs.  

But the good times are likely to grind to a halt, especially as the government reduces the number of public sector posts.  This bodes badly for black graduates especially, who are most likely to be hired by the government.  A British Council report indicates: "While white graduates have increasingly obtained employment in the private sector, black graduates have increasingly obtained posts in the public sector."  It found that white and Indian graduates were more likely to be employed before black and coloured graduates.  The report also said that graduates from former black institutions took longer to be absorbed into the labour market, whereas graduates from former white universities were absorbed more quickly.

• Read this report by Shenaaz Jamal in full at TimesLive

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