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Graduates from low socio-economic backgrounds less likely to receive job offers, research finds

A new report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and conducted by UCL researchers in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University, provided large-scale evidence of the disparities in recruitment outcomes.

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Graduates from low socio-economic backgrounds less likely to receive job offers, research finds
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Graduates from low socio-economic backgrounds and ethnic minority groups were significantly less likely to receive job offers, even when they have the same qualifications as their wealthier or White counterparts, a new report has revealed.

The report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and conducted by UCL researchers in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University, provided large-scale evidence of the disparities in recruitment outcomes.

The analysis, which examined nearly two million applications to 17 major employers over the past decade, found that low socio-economic background (SEB) graduates are 32% less likely to secure a job offer compared to their wealthier peers.

Black applicants faced a 45% lower likelihood of receiving an offer than White candidates, while Asian applicants are 29% less likely.

The research focused on graduate, internship, and apprenticeship recruitment across law, finance, and other professional sectors.

For low SEB candidates, half of the disadvantage in job offers stemmed from failing the initial online application sift and psychometric testing, while the other half emerged during face-to-face recruitment stages.

Black applicants were more likely to be screened out at the online stage, suggesting that employer decision-making at multiple points in the process contributed to the gap.

Even when comparing candidates with similar education, qualifications, and professional experience, low SEB applicants remained 18% less likely to receive an offer than their wealthier counterparts.

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Black candidates were 33% less likely to be recruited than White applicants with the same profile.

The research also highlighted significant barriers in school leaver and apprenticeship routes.

Low SEB applicants were 17% less likely to secure offers than wealthier peers, with Black and Asian candidates facing even steeper disadvantages of 43% and 35% respectively.

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White low SEB candidates were 20% less likely to be recruited than White applicants from professional backgrounds, while ethnic minority candidates of any socio-economic background face the highest disadvantage, being 35% less likely to secure an offer than White professional-background applicants.

Internships, which are often a pathway to professional roles, showed a different trend.

Black applicants were 20% more likely to receive internship offers than their White or Asian peers, reflecting efforts to build more diverse talent pipelines.

However, internships tend to be dominated by candidates from advantaged backgrounds, London or the South of England, and Russell Group universities.

Privately educated graduates were overrepresented in applications and secure internships at a similar rate to state-educated candidates, but the latter are less likely to apply in the first place.

Despite disparities in socio-economic background and ethnicity, the study found that women, though underrepresented in applications, were more likely than men to receive job offers once they apply.

The researchers emphasised that these findings highlighted the need for employers to review recruitment practices, track socio-economic data alongside gender and ethnicity, and address potential biases in hiring decisions.

They also recommended that universities support disadvantaged students in preparing for graduate schemes, applying early, and gaining work experience to improve job prospects.

Dr Emily Tanner, programme head at the Nuffield Foundation, said: “This important research shows that closing education attainment gaps is not enough to improve social mobility.

“By identifying where in the recruitment process disparities occur for different groups of young people, this novel research is an important first step for designing more equitable approaches.”

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