How long do graduates stay in their first job?

According to a survey of 219 large graduate employers from the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) in 2007, virtually all graduates hired in the 2005-06 recruitment session - 92% - were still working for the same employer one year on. For graduates recruited in 2003-04, 74% were successfully retained, while for the class of 2002-03, this stood at 59%.

Another study, this time from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), found that 81% of respondents graduating in 2005 were still working with their first permanent employer one year after graduation, with 12% of these having been promoted. Five years on, however, lower proportions of graduates from 2000 were satisfied with their career development, happy with training, development, coaching and mentoring opportunities than those from the class of 2005. The study suggested that attitudes change once individuals have been in the workplace for a few years and satisfaction levels may drop over time.

The CIPD study considered whether or not graduates were likely to change jobs for less money. It found that graduates, regardless of their year of graduation, were most likely to consider a lower salary if they found a job with better career prospects, while other popular reasons included better training opportunities, and better work/life balance.

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