Graduates apply for school-leavers jobs as hiring dries up

University graduates in the UK have increasingly applied for school-leaver jobs, as graduate job listings have fallen by a third since last year.

The Institute of Student Employers has found a 62% increase in graduates applying for roles aimed at 16-to-18-year-olds.

The average number of applications per graduate job has risen to 141 in 2026, from 86 per opening in 2023.

The use of AI in the workplace is ‘fuelling drops in job openings within industries where tasks can be automated’

The Telegraph

The decline in graduate hiring has been attributed to several factors. These include the large student population, the number of entry-level jobs requiring experience, and the rise of AI.

The Telegraph has reported that the use of AI in the workplace is “fuelling drops in job openings within industries where tasks can be automated”.

This has been linked to a 62% fall in graduate and entry-level jobs in human resources, and a 44% fall in accounting.

A growing number of employers have used AI to screen applications. Some have also favoured AI over hiring for entry-level roles, due to cost-cutting measures.

School leavers have also been affected, as they compete with graduates for roles that graduates would not typically take after university.

I apply to around 70 jobs per week and only hear back from three, the rest is complete silence

Karyna Lohvynenko, University graduate

Youth unemployment has reached 16.4% for May to July 2026, an 11-year high. According to the House of Commons Library, this is a 2.1% increase on last year.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated that just under one million young people in the UK were not in education, employment, or training as of June 2026.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has found that AI puts white-collar careers, such as law and finance, at risk of automation. These roles make up around a quarter (27%) of positions across its 38 member countries.

Karyna Lohvyneko, a university graduate, told the BBC that she had secured only three interviews after more than 400 job applications.

She said: “If I apply to around 70 jobs per week and only hear back from three, the rest is complete silence – not even a rejection email.”