Background information This is an a

Background information This is an article by an Education Correspondent, Alexandra Blair, published in September 2008 in The Times, a long-established British quality newspaper. In Europe generally, and in Britain in particular, there has been for a number of years a rising number of students going to university and therefore more new graduates seeking employment. However, for many graduates finding a job became harder in 2008—2009 because the economic downturn — then a recession — meant that many employers were reducing their workforce. After their final exams, some students took a break over the summer before looking for jobs, only to find that it was difficult to find employment in their field or at the level they wanted. The passage addresses the problems of such new graduates who might be stuck at home and advises their parents to be there for their children (ie to be available if their children want to talk about the problem or if they need help).