PricewaterhouseCoopers takes on 125 graduate trainees, a third of them aged over 25

The firm has also made a commitment to diversity with 31% of its graduate recruits aged over 25 (compared with 18% last year).

More than two out of five (43%) will be dispatched to positions in the City, dealing with capital markets, insurance and investment markets.

Sonja Stockton, head of student recruitment at PwC, said: "For us it's business as usual in terms of graduate recruitment. Competition is fierce. Graduates may have fewer job opportunities but they still want high quality learning and development."

James Chalmers, PwC's head of strategy and talent, added: "Recruiting talent is not a switch you can flick on and off. We're committed to graduate recruitment because we believe it is a long-term investment in the future of our business."