In the latest addition to the conflicting data about the strength of the Australian labour market, a new report claims job opportunities to graduates fell last year to the lowest point since 1994.
Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) calculates that just 76.2% of bachelor degree graduates found full-time work within four months of course completion in 2010.
This figure is the lowest in 21 years, and is down from 79.2% in 2009 and 85.2% in 2008.
GCA research manager Bruce Guthrie attributed the slump to continuing labour market uncertainty among graduate recruiters - with confidence still not having recovered after the financial crisis.
Females were slightly more likely to have found a suitable position than males, but were also more likely to be in part-time or casual work while seeking a full-time job.
Graduates with a disability and those from non-English speaking backgrounds were notably less likely than the norm to have been in full-time employment, while graduates under the age of 25 found it slightly harder than average to find a job.
NT and the ACT appeared to have the best employment prospects, while Tasmania, WA and NSW had the worst.
Roy Morgan last week estimated that while record numbers of Australians are employed, unemployment and underemployment is still increasing slightly.
Various estimates also have online job ads increasing or declining in May, and enterprises have expressed concern over a brewing skills shortage.
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