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New figures by specialist independent student research company High Fliers shows that the number of graduate jobs now on offer from the big recruiters is at its highest level since 2008.

The research studies one hundred companies that High Fliers take to be the leading employers in the United Kingdom. This basket of companies, which includes the likes of Marks & Spencer, KPMG and John Lewis, is based on a survey by The Times newspaper into who undergraduates in their final year think of as the best prospects for a graduate career.

The total number of graduate jobs on offer at the 100 companies is up by over 4 per cent on last year. Earlier in the year, the same group of companies only expected that increase to be around two and a half per cent, so the research suggests that the number of new graduate jobs being created is actually increasing at pace.

Indeed, around two thirds of the 100 companies expect to maintain or increase the number of graduate positions on offer next year.

Competition for places still remains high, however, with an average of almost 50 graduates chasing down each vacancy at the big recruiters. The average starting salary for a graduate job has held steady at £29,000 according to the report.

Martin Birchall, managing director of High Fliers Research, welcomed the findings and forecasts further improvement for the graduate jobs market going forward

"It's great news for the Class of 2013. Many of the country's best-known organisations are set to expand their graduate vacancies even further in 2014," said Mr Birchall.

The research from High Fliers follows hot on the heels of our article yesterday about how women graduates are finding it easier than men to land a graduate job after soon after leaving university.

*Read the full High Fliers report here*

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