The number of graduate vacancies has fallen for the first time since 2003, according to a new survey.

The survey, from the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), predicts a projected decrease in vacancies of 5.4% this year.

The banking sector expects a 28% decline in vacancy numbers, while graduate salaries have frozen for the first time.

However, the engineering sector has bucked the trend, with an expected 8.3% increase in jobs but there may be a shortfall of graduates to fill these roles.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the AGR, says: “Last summer our members predicted an optimistic growth in vacancies of more than 11%. Soon after that we saw a series of catastrophic events in the financial sector with serious consequences for many other sectors such as construction.

“It comes as no surprise that these seismic shifts in the economy are being mirrored to some extent in the graduate jobs market. The predicted rise in jobs in 2008 simply did not occur.”