The unemployment rate among young IT graduates has dropped from 10.7 per cent to 10.3 per cent, according to a report by the Higher Education Careers Service Unit (Hecsu).

However, the rate is still one of the highest of all subjects, a legacy from the industry's recession in the early years of the decade, the unit says.

Of those who study IT at university, about a third (42.4 per cent), go into direct computer based roles, while another 21 per cent move into sectors like business, finance and public sector management.

Mike Hill, the chief executive of Hecsu, says it is becoming more common for IT graduates to look outside computing for a career.

'We are seeing more and more graduates who are unafraid to pursue careers that do not relate directly back to their course, indicating the vast career opportunities a degree offers,' he said.

'Graduates are continuing to pursue a wide range of careers employing the breadth of skills that their degree has equipped them with.'

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