Graduates may be facing years of hard slog to pay off their student debts – but the people who recruit them into these jobs are working even harder.

Almost half of graduate recruiters work between 40 and 49 hours a week, far exceeding the average, and two-thirds report high levels of stress.

However, they are also highly qualified – more than a third have a 2:1 degree or above – and youthful, with 70% under the age of 34.

These are the findings of a report by the Association of Graduate Recruiters which profiles the people that place graduates in work.

The AGR’s report also found that the job of a graduate recruiter has become increasingly complex. Almost 70% said marketing was a major element of their role, while more than half were involved with clients’ recruitment strategies and university relations.

Tim Rotchell of graduate recruitment agency Bartlett Scott Edgar said it was this host of new responsibilities that meant graduate recruiters were working harder than ever. “The symptoms of this difficult and wide-ranging job may be showing up in the long hours and increasing stress that graduate recruiters report,” he said.