Competition for graduate jobs is still intense

Vacancies are expected to rise by almost 11% overall from last year, with the accountancy sector set to recruit the largest share of graduates.

But vacancies in retail and the public sector are not predicted to increase.

The Graduate Market trends report looks at what graduates see as the top 100 firms to work for. It said starting salaries would be up 3% to �23,000.

'Start job-hunting'

Over half of leading employers expect to recruit more graduates in 2006 than last year, according to the research.

Graduate vacancies have risen by 22% since 2004 and starting salaries by 5.8% - above the rate of inflation - over the same period.

Investment banks, law firms and consulting firms will offer the most generous starting salaries.

Accountancy and professional services make up the fastest-growing sector as well as the largest recruiter of graduates, with vacancies expected to rise by 28.8% from last year.

And although only four accountancy firms feature in the top 100 employers, they provide one quarter of the graduate opportunities at these firms.

Ten largest graduate employers in 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers - 1,200 vacancies Deloitte - 1,200 vacancies The Army - 1,000 vacancies KPMG - 850 vacancies Accenture - 550 vacancies Ernst & Young - 550 vacancies HSBC - 400 vacancies Barclays Capital - 400 vacancies Bloomberg - 350 vacancies JP Morgan - 350 vacancies

Public sector jobs will still make up 16% of the total graduate sector, although vacancies in the sector are not set to rise this year.

The media, oil and energy companies and law firms plan to recruit more graduates in 2006.

Graduate opportunities in IT and telecoms, banking and finance, and pharmaceutical and chemical employers are set to decrease.

The number of vacancies varies widely between firms, with one in five only expecting to recruit under 50 graduates, but one sixth set to recruit more than 250.

More than three quarters of the top 100 firms are recruiting for positions in London and the south East, but less than half have any vacancies in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Managing director of High Fliers Research, Martin Birchall, said students soon to graduate should take advantage of the buoyant market.

"The best advice for final-year students hoping to begin work at the end of their degree is to start job hunting as soon as possible."

Competition is set to be fierce, with more than 260,000 graduates chasing fewer than 90,000 jobs, he added.