The Association of Graduate Recruiters polled 200 employers and found that 2014 is set to see a 10.2% increase in graduate recruitment - totaling 23,000 jobs.

This is a sharp rise compared to the increase of just 4.3 per cent last year. This report echos recent news of growing confidence among businesses and an improvement in the economy.

Sectors that are predicted to see high growth in vacancies are; IT and telecoms (40%), public sector (20%), energy (18%), and banking and financial services (16%). However, Law and Investment are predicted to have less opportunities for graduates this year.

 Stephen Isherwood, chief executive AGR, said: "Given the upturn in the economy, and the slight increase in graduate vacancies recorded last year, we would expect employer predictions to be fairly buoyant for the year ahead, so an expected rise of more than 10% is welcome news."

 This shouldn't be a sign for graduates to switch off, competition and job requirements are as high as ever. Stephen added: "Even through the darkest days of the recession our members reported unfilled vacancies because they couldn't find graduates with the right mix of skills and attributes. Graduates need to think carefully about their applications and ensure they understand what a potential employer is looking for."

 Universities minister David Willetts said: "The substantial rise in the number of graduate vacancies demonstrates that confidence in the UK economy is growing and businesses really value the skills the UK's first-rate graduates can bring to their companies.

 "A degree is still one of the best routes to a good job and a rewarding career. The increased number of graduates has been met by increased demand from employers, which is why we have made the historic commitment to remove the cap on the number of people who could go to university by 2015-16."