The Debate: Should student loan debt be forgiven? Opinion Student loans are under the spotlight, with those who took out plans between 2012 and 2023 feeling the bite. Should student debt (or some of it) be forgiven?
Cost of hiring graduates shot up after Reeves’ tax raids Economics The cost of hiring graduates and other young Brits in entry-level roles increased by seven per cent in real terms after Chancellor Rachel Reeves hiked employers’ national insurance and raised the national living wage, economists have found. A new set of forecasts and analysis by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) has [...]
Don’t blame universities for the graduate crisis Opinion Blaming universities for the graduate crisis is convenient, but it isn't true, writes Eliza Filby. Here's what's actually gone wrong.
Graduate crisis proves British universities are no longer fit for purpose January 28, 2026 It's time to accept that a substantial proportion of British universities are simply not fit for purpose, writes Paul Ormerod.
The graduate crisis: hundreds of thousands sign on to welfare January 27, 2026 The myth is surely shattered; university is not a springboard into the future and a degree does not guarantee you a job. New analysis reveals that over 700,000 university graduates are out of work and claiming benefits. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), which studied data from the Labour Force Survey and the Department for [...]
Jobless graduates claiming benefits totals 700,000, report says January 26, 2026 The number of unemployed graduates claiming benefits now totals 700,000, a new report has estimated, with blame being laid on the UK education system’s “obsession” with getting young people into university. Fresh analysis by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has found the number of jobless graduates receiving welfare support was nearing three quarters of [...]
Why graduates face a brutal jobs market September 26, 2025 While students flung mortar boards in the air after receiving their degrees, not everyone had cause to celebrate. Graduation was supposed to be the golden ticket to a dream career: get a good degree at a good university, and jobs at professional service firms, banks and consultancies would be there for the taking. For many [...]
Parents forced to delay retirement to bankroll staggering university costs September 4, 2025 Over a third of UK parents are postponing retirement to fund their children’s university education. According to a new study from wealth manager Rathbones, parents expect to work an average of five years longer than initially planned to afford increasingly higher education costs. However, more than a quarter estimate they will need to extend their [...]
Cut tax for under 35s or watch them leave the country July 30, 2025 The most pressing choice I faced over the past week was whether to swim in the pool or the sea. We lounged our way from lazy lunch to long dinner, occasionally mustering the energy to stroll to the boulangerie. As I put the key in the front door of our south London home last night [...]
Graduate visa ‘does not offer any skills value’ to UK labour market, MP claims May 15, 2024 The graduate visa system “does not offer any value to the skills of the UK labour market”, an Conservative MP has claimed.