10 courses to study in UK for high job opportunities

10 courses to study in UK for high job opportunities

By Adegboyega Adeleye The right choice of courses to study in the UK is hugely relevant, as it helps to place you in the right pedestal in evolving job markets. The UK is regarded as an academic ‘hotspot’ and a top study destination because it hosts some of the most prominent universities in the world and offers world-class teaching. Consequently, if you want to gain academic prominence and success in your career, it is important to consider the best courses which serve such values and offer the biggest job prospects for graduates. Based on the potential for employability, salary value, and relevance, this article highlights the top ten courses that offer high job opportunities and can lead to high-paying jobs in the UK. 1. Computer Science and IT The tech industry in the UK continues to dominate as technology transforms every industry. A degree in Computer Science or IT gives you skills in coding, software development, cybersecurity, and data analysis. Many graduates get roles in fintech,...
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‘Soul-destroying’: Young jobseekers on the struggle to find work

‘Soul-destroying’: Young jobseekers on the struggle to find work

Young people are bearing the brunt of the UK's weak labour market, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Some 16.1% of people aged 16 to 24 are not able to find work, compared to a national unemployment figure of 5.1%.That does not include young people who are out of work but not looking for a job, due to ill health or who are still studying.Businesses, particularly in sectors that traditionally gave young people their first jobs, like retail and hospitality, say higher costs are leading them to cut staff or not take on new hires, which often hits young workers the hardest.But graduate-level roles are also proving harder to land.Lucy Gabb is currently working in a cafe in London while trying to break into the publishing industry. She graduated from Cambridge University in July 2025."Entry-level jobs are just so competitive and they're asking for experience that is just impossible to get whilst you're also studying," she...
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UK job vacancies ‘fall to lowest level since pandemic’ | UK unemployment and employment statistics

UK job vacancies ‘fall to lowest level since pandemic’ | UK unemployment and employment statistics

The number of job vacancies in the UK has tumbled to the lowest level in five years, research suggests, falling to levels not seen since the pandemic.The number of jobs being advertised slid by 3% in January to 695,000, according to the job search site Adzuna, marking the first time advertised vacancies have dropped below 700,000 since January 2021.Graduate jobs fell below 10,000 for the first time since Adzuna began tracking this in 2016.The research comes days after official figures showed unemployment in the UK had risen to a five-year high of 5.2%, at a time when wage growth is slowing and concerns are increasing that young people are bearing the brunt of the slowdown in hiring.The fall in the number of vacancies marked a continuation in the downward trend seen during late 2025 and showed a 16% slide compared with last January and a near-20% fall since six months earlier.It highlights how sharply job opportunities have shrunk since mid-2025,...
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Job Switching in the UK: Who Stays Put, and Who Moves On?

Job Switching in the UK: Who Stays Put, and Who Moves On?

Job switching varies markedly by occupation, shaped by entry barriers, skill specialisation and labour demand. Key points: Job switching varies by occupation: Around 2.4% of Indeed users in the UK change jobs each month, with 63% of these moving into a different occupation. Turnover is highest in entry-level roles such as loading & stocking, food preparation & service, and hospitality & tourism, and lowest in occupations like beauty & wellness, nursing, and electrical engineering.  Barriers and accessibility influence mobility: Roles with lower entry requirements or more generalised skills attract more external talent, while specialised professions such as nursing, dentistry, and software development experience lower inflows and stronger occupational attachment. Demand and skill investment drive retention: Occupations with high demand or significant barriers to entry see fewer workers leaving. High-demand or specialised roles, especially in healthcare, have lower exit rates, whereas temporary or junior roles in sectors like hospitality and retail experience much higher exit rates. People change jobs for a variety of reasons. Higher pay...
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More UK PhD graduates looking overseas for jobs

Only four in 10 UK PhD graduates remain in academia just over a year after completing their degrees with many more heading overseas for research jobs than in previous years, a major national poll suggests. Analysing the job outcomes of 10,690 students who gained a doctoral degree in 2022-23 15 months after graduation – about 45 per cent of all PhD graduates that year – the Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC)-Vitae report concludes PhD graduates “continue to be highly employable” with less than 3 per cent unemployed and 91 per cent working, with a median average salary of £42,000. However, a minority of PhD graduates remained in higher education, with only 42 per cent of UK-based doctoral graduates working in academia. Of these, most (23 per cent of all PhDs) had fixed-term university-based research jobs such as postdoctoral research posts, explains the report titled What do researchers do? Employment, earnings and activities of recent doctoral graduates 2026, whose last iteration was published four years...
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KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs March 2026

KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs March 2026

-ENDS-Contact:KPMGClaire BarrattDeputy Head of Media RelationsT:+44 (0)7923 439264claire.barratt@kpmg.co.uk RECHamant VermaCommunications ManagerT: +44 (0)20 7009 2129hamant.verma@rec.uk.comS&P GlobalAnnabel FiddesEconomics Associate DirectorS&P Global Market IntelligenceT: +44 (0)1491 461 010annabel.fiddes@spglobal.comHannah BrookEMEA Communications ManagerS&P Global Market IntelligenceT: +44-7483-439-812hannah.brook@spglobal.compress.mi@spglobal.com MethodologyThe KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to a panel of around 400 UK recruitment and employment consultancies. Survey responses are collected in the second half of each month and indicate the direction of change compared to the previous month. A diffusion index is calculated for each survey variable. The index is the sum of the percentage of ‘higher’ responses and half the percentage of ‘unchanged’ responses. The indices vary between 0 and 100, with a reading above 50 indicating an overall increase compared to the previous month, and below 50 an overall decrease. The indices are then seasonally adjusted.Underlying survey data are not revised after publication, but seasonal adjustment factors may be revised from time to time as...
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Big retailers say UK jobs at risk from guaranteed hours reforms | Employment law

Big retailers say UK jobs at risk from guaranteed hours reforms | Employment law

More than half of retail jobs could be affected by reform to guaranteed working hours, making it harder for shops to employ people – particularly young workers – in part-time roles, the industry’s lobby group has warned.From April, the Employment Rights Act will introduce new protections for workers on sick pay, sexual harassment, parental leave and trade union recognition.Further rights to guaranteed hours for those currently on zero or “low hours” contracts, flexible working, payment for short-notice cancellation of shifts and barring fire-and-rehire practices in most circumstances are due next year.However, the government has yet to decide the maximum number of hours in a low-hours contract and the period of weeks over which regular working patterns can be assessed in order to decide guaranteed hours.The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents most big UK retailers, says guaranteed hours protections should only apply to contracts of eight hours a week or fewer, and the reference period to be at least 26...
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UK retail giant collapse saw 1,800 jobs lost as company owed £46m

UK retail giant collapse saw 1,800 jobs lost as company owed £46m

Documents reveal for the first time events surrounding the collapse of the company founded in 1834 with the closure of all 168 stores, and that unsecured creditors face losing tens of millions of pounds. Recently lodged papers show that M&Co. which started its life in Paisley as a pawnbroker before entering retail in 1953 as Mackays by family owners Len and Ian McGeoch, show that more than 600 unsecured creditors will lose more than £33m. New documents show the case moved from administration to dissolution in June and administrators' reports set out the steps leading to the failure of the business. UK high street retail giant collapsed with 168 stores closed and 1,800 jobs lost (Image: Getty Images) Adele Macleod, Gavin Park and Robert Harding, of Teneo, were earlier appointed joint administrators in the second such event. The firm first fell into administration during the pandemic with 47 stores and 380 jobs lost at the...
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UK retail giant collapse saw 1,800 jobs lost as company owed £46m

UK retail giant collapse saw 1,800 jobs lost as company owed £46m

Documents reveal for the first time events surrounding the collapse of the company founded in 1834 with the closure of all 168 stores, and that unsecured creditors face losing tens of millions of pounds. Recently lodged papers show that M&Co. which started its life in Paisley as a pawnbroker before entering retail in 1953 as Mackays by family owners Len and Ian McGeoch, show that more than 600 unsecured creditors will lose more than £33m. New documents show the case moved from administration to dissolution in June and administrators' reports set out the steps leading to the failure of the business. UK high street retail giant collapsed with 168 stores closed and 1,800 jobs lost (Image: Getty Images) Adele Macleod, Gavin Park and Robert Harding, of Teneo, were earlier appointed joint administrators in the second such event. The firm first fell into administration during the pandemic with 47 stores and 380 jobs lost at the...
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