May 20, 2025, by Jackie Thompson

Labour market information: Why every student and graduate should use it

By Bethany Litchfield, Careers Adviser

Image by Talpa from Pixabay

If you’ve ever asked yourself “What can I do with my degree?” or “Where are the jobs right now?”, you’re not alone. These are some of the most common questions students bring to careers appointments. One of the best tools to help answer them is labour market information (LMI).

What is LMI?

LMI is data and analysis about the job market. It includes:

• Employment trends and job availability
• Skills employers are looking for
• Salary ranges and typical job roles
• Recruitment processes
• Educational requirements for different career paths

This information can help you make smarter, more confident decisions about your future — whether you’re exploring career ideas, considering further study, or preparing job applications.

How can I access it?

There are several ways to explore LMI during your time at university:

• Careers appointments and fairs: Our team can show you the Graduate Outcomes survey data, which includes insights into where Nottingham graduates go after their courses. You’ll see top job roles, employers, salaries, trending industries — and even heat maps showing the locations of graduate jobs. This data isn’t available to students directly, but we’re always happy to talk you through it in a one-to-one appointment (book a day and time through MyCareer) or at our stand during our careers fairs.
• External tools: You can also explore LMI through trusted sources like Prospects Luminate, High Fliers Research, Nomis, and the National Careers Service, which provide sector-specific data and insights into future job prospects.

Why use LMI?

Using LMI helps you:

• Identify careers linked to your degree or interests
• Focus your efforts on sectors that are actively hiring
• Understand which skills to develop for your chosen field
• Decide whether further study is worth the investment
• Tailor your CV and applications to meet current employer demands

In short, it’s about making informed choices based on what the job market is really like — not just guesswork or hearsay.

Be critical of the data

LMI is only useful if it’s reliable. Before you act on it, ask yourself:

• Who produced this data?
• How recent is it?
• Is it relevant to your subject, goals, or location?

A final word on the Graduate Outcomes survey

If you completed your undergraduate degree in the summer of 2024, you will be contacted to take part in the Graduate Outcomes survey from September 2025 onwards as it tracks what graduates have gone on to do 15 months after finishing their course. By completing the survey, you are supporting the next generation of students and making LMI more accurate.

If you are unclear about what you can do with your degree or how to build your skills and experience while at Nottingham, go to your degree subject page.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn