New figures released by the Careers and Employability Centre (CEC) show that more University of Sussex graduates are staying in local areas including Brighton and Hove, as well as East and West Sussex.
The figure for 2009 is 44 per cent, an increase of 4 per cent from the previous year, 2008.
The report looks at former students who finished their degrees in the period between September 2008 and August 2009.
Each year the CEC provide data to show what the university’s alumni are currently doing. The Career Development Survey of Sussex Graduates received responses from over 1700 graduates.
According to the latest statistics, 85 per cent of graduates are taking further study, in employment or both. The positive figure is only one per cent less than last year.
Only eight per cent are unemployed, an increase of two per cent from 2008. The figure is one per cent lower than the national average.
The average salary of the university’s graduates has increased from £19,300 to £19,422.
Former students were employed in areas including finance, education, media and IT.
Speaking about the recent findings, Linda Buckham, Director of the Careers and Employability Centre said: “Despite the negative stories in the press about the state of the graduate labour market, the 2009 results reveal that, although numbers in work have dropped, many of our graduates are still finding ways into work and study.
“The message to current students is one of persistence: keep applying, but also be realistic and seek advice and feedback from the Careers and Employability Centre.”
The Careers and Employability Centre is in Falmer House and the centre is open from 10am to 5pm on Monday to Friday during term-time.
