Many companies still take graduates - graduate jobs

Some companies are still taking on graduates despite the recruitment freeze sparked by the recession, according to the Higher Education Careers Services Unit.

Internet security company Symantec recently announced places for 39 graduates and 13 interns for this year, while TUI Travel will be holding assessments in Luton over the next two weeks.

Because of the economic situation, says psychologist James Bywater at talent-spotters SHL, jobseekers are having to be flexible about the types of work they will accept.

He says: "Many companies have cut back on graduate recruitment, or even postponed their schemes altogether, and this has led many students to widen their search and apply for roles they hadn't originally considered because they can no longer afford to put all their eggs in one basket."

Architecture and construction graduates have been particularly badly affected, with 8.5% of summer graduates out of work at the start of the year compared with 2.9% last year.

And some employers, such as BT, have pulled their graduate recruitment plans entirely for their 2010 intake.