The line graph illustrates the changes in full-time employment rates among UK university graduates and their average yearly salaries between 2004 and 2012.
Overall, the two categories exhibited contrasting trends. While average salaries showed a consistent and linear increase throughout the entire eight-year period, the percentage of graduates finding full-time work declined significantly until 2009, before making a partial recovery.
In 2004, the employment rate for graduates stood at its peak of 75%, while the average salary was at its lowest point of £25,000. Over the next five years, the proportion of graduates with full-time jobs fell steadily, dropping by roughly 11 percentage points to reach a trough of 64% in 2009. However, salaries moved in the opposite direction during this time, rising to approximately £27,500 by the same year.
From 2009 onwards, both indicators showed positive growth. The employment rate rebounded, climbing from the 64% low to finish at 69% in 2012, though this remained well below the 2004 starting figure. Meanwhile, graduate wages continued their steady upward trajectory, culminating in a peak of £29,000 in 2012, representing a total increase of £4,000 over the period shown.