The earnings of recent English graduates have deteriorated so rapidly since the financial crisis that the most recent class is earning 12 per cent less than their pre-crash counterparts at the same stage in their careers. They also owe about 60 per cent more in student debt.
As Britain starts to emerge from the downturn, a Financial Times analysis of student loan data exposes the damage done to a generation of graduates, for whom a degree has all but ceased to be a golden ticket to a decent job. Tuition fees in England almost tripled last year to a maximum £9,000 a year.
These are the young people to whom the country will turn over the next 20 years to fund the retirement of the “baby boomer” generation. Britain’s ageing population is forecast to put public finances under increasing strain.