Graduates are competing fiercely for the few available jobs, new research has revealed.

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Those searching for recruitment agency formation advice with the view to starting a recruitment agency may be interested to hear that competition for graduate jobs is high thanks to a greater number of university leavers.

According to the High Fliers survey of 100 top employers, up to 270 students are competing for every single opportunity in the consumer goods industry as university leavers desperately scramble for the most sought-after positions.

Some 45 students are now competing for every graduate position and the situation is made tighter by the fact that last year's leavers are still looking for employment.

University leavers who manage to secure employment can look forward to enjoying good remuneration as average starting salaries have increased to £29,000, with vacancies up by 18 per cent.

While vacancies in law and the public sector are down by 4.5 per cent and 11 per cent respectively, opportunities in investment banking and accountancy have gone up by a third.

Starting a recruitment company does not require a lot of capital, one industry insider claimed recently.