# Coding jobs are drying up for new grads

> UK graduate data shows pure coding roles vanishing fastest, and economics grads are feeling it too.
- Title: Coding jobs are drying up for new grads · the Guardian
- Summary: UK graduate data shows pure coding roles vanishing fastest, and economics grads are feeling it too. Entry-level coding work is shrinking first, so new grads…
- Keywords: graduate jobs, computer science, hiring, economics, news, world, Coding, jobs, drying, grads, the Guardian
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/education/2026/sep/12/ai-computer-science-graduates-job-prospects-uk-data
- Published: 2026-09-12T07:00:30+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ai, graduate jobs, computer science, hiring, economics, news, world
## The safe degree wobbles
Computer science and economics were the reliable bets for a well-paid graduate job. New UK data on recent graduates suggests both are losing ground.
## Coding fell fastest
Coding and software development were the fastest-falling graduate occupations last year, according to data compiled for the 2027 Guardian University Guide.
## From 40% to 28%
The share of computer science graduates landing professional jobs as coders or programmers dropped from around 40% to just 28%. Any graduate-level job: down from over 60% to 50%.

> With AI providing such responsive and cheap grunt work in this field, it's hard not to conclude that this is behind the trend
## 350,000 graduates, surveyed
The figures come from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which asked more than 350,000 former students about their careers 15 months after finishing in 2024.
## Nobody will say AI did it
Labour market analysts see the shift but stop short of blaming AI outright. Some graduates are moving sideways into cybersecurity and network engineering instead.

> While I'm reluctant to say that AI did it, because there's little evidence, it's very hard to escape the conclusion that AI has played a role
## Finance changes jobs, not headcount
Most finance employers say they are reshaping roles rather than cutting them, and expect new hires to already know their way around AI tools. A few are cutting and hoping for an edge.

> Some have an appetite for risk and are embracing AI tools and laying people off, in the hope that it will give them an edge
## Universities scramble to adapt
Birmingham now lets undergraduates add a year in subjects like AI and data science without the usual prerequisites, and is building employer-demanded skills into existing courses.

> This is about equipping people for the world they are in, whether or not we like the world we are becoming
## Key takeaway

Entry-level coding work is shrinking first, so new grads need AI fluency and a second skill like security or data to stay hireable.