A survey commissioned by reed.co.uk has discovered more than half of the recent class of graduates are ‘concerned’ with finding a job in the current economic climate.

Job board reed.co.uk asked new graduates what factors affected their decisions when choosing a job in the economic downturn. It found that one in four graduates would consider sacrificing up to 2.5-5% of their salary in exchange for job security for three years.

Almost two thirds of graduates believed the private sector was affected more than the public sector, and a significant number of graduates are shunning careers in the financial sector and are moving towards marketing, media and creative sectors (20%). This is compared to 4% in finance, 2% in banking and 3% in accounting.  The impact of these career decisions could have a longer-term impact on the pace of economic recovery in the UK, as graduates shun traditional City jobs.