The relentless exodus of Northern Ireland's brightest graduates to other parts of the UK will continue unless starting salaries are driven up, it was claimed today.
A UK-wide survey of graduate vacancies published by the Association of Graduate Employers (AGR) today showed Northern Ireland languishing at the bottom of the salaries league table with an average starting wage of £18,000 per year.
Average salaries offered by large companies across the UK have risen by 3.4 per cent to £21,000, while in Northern Ireland the figure has remained unchanged.
The figures also revealed that the number of vacancies offered by AGR members in Northern Ireland had slumped by 4.4 per cent, while vacancies across the UK had risen by 15.5 per cent.
AGR chair Alison Hodgson said the level of salaries and job opportunities in Northern Ireland inevitably meant that more and more graduates were leaving the province in search of better prospects.
"If salaries continue to decline and if the gap in starting salaries continues to grow then the brain drain will continue," she said.
PA