Research from Jobsite and The Student Room reveals graduate brain drain to hit UK cities

More than half a million UK graduates are set to flock to London to work, causing a brain drain in the countryís other cities according to new research unveiled today by Jobsite, www.jobsite.co.uk, one of the UKís leading online recruiters, and its new partner www.thestudentroom.co.uk, the UKís largest student community. The research revealed that close to one in three (30 per cent) current students are planning to move to London after graduating in the search for employment.

The research was conducted by Jobsite and the Student Room to better understand the key geographical regions and industry sectors where graduates will be looking for work over the next 12 months. Over 1,300 students responded to the research. As part of the new partnership between the two sites, all of Jobsiteís graduate vacancies can now be accessed through the Student Room, enabling Jobsite recruiters to reach and interact with a new wave of degree educated job hunters entering the market.

The research reveals that of the UKís 2.3 million students, this potential London migration equates to an influx of more than 600,000* graduates, and with skilled university leavers in high demand across the country, Jobsite.co.uk predicts this flood of talent is set to cause a brain drain in certain areas of the UK. With high growth employment in many areas outside of London such as Manchester and Bristol, Jobsite believes employers and local government need to do more to promote, and attract, home grown talent and students need to look beyond the traditional lure of London.

The Jobsite and Student Room research reveals cities like Norwich and Ipswich are likely to suffer most, as only a fifth of students from East Anglia (20 per cent) look to remain there to work, with a quarter (26 per cent) planning to head down the A11 for the bright lights of London.**

Nottingham and Leicester may also see their graduate talent sapped, with just 28 per cent of students from the East Midlands pledging their futures to their home region.

The impact of the brain drain is set to be worsened as it is the very brightest students and graduates who are drawn to London. A third who have or expect to be awarded a first class degree (30 per cent) are looking to move to the capital, along with two fifths of 2:1 graduates (39 per cent).

This flight to London appears to be driven by career-conscious students, with the view that the capital is a good place to start a career the single biggest motivator (11 per cent of students planning to move to London). London-bound students also see the capital as enjoying better pay (10 per cent), better jobs (10 per cent) and a wider choice of jobs (nine per cent) than the rest of the country.

Yet despite pledging their immediate futures to London, students are making long-term plans for outside the capital, as the majority of those looking to move to London (54 per cent) expect to spend less than a decade there.

Felix Wetzel, Jobsiteís Group Marketing Director, comments: ìThe research highlights the perception that London is the only place to go for the best jobs. Yet we work with recruiters from across the UK and know that it isnít true. Cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are real hotspots for a wide range of jobs and students should not rule them out too quickly. We would advise that they take a good look around and see what employers across the country are offering.î

Jamie OíConnell, Director of the Student Room, comments: ìItís great to see that todayís students are so ambitious and are keen to start their career as soon as possible. But they should remember that thereís more to life than work. Financially life in London can be tough especially with high student debt. Weíd recommend that graduates look at the broader picture before deciding to move to a particular town, city or region.î

Jobsite are committed to helping graduates in the hunt for their first job and have a dedicated section of their site for this. Graduates should visit www.jobsite.co.uk/graduate for a tailored job search displaying quality vacancies across the UK and specialist graduate career articles.