Amid talk of global recession, crashing markets and business closures, many pending graduates are worried about their job prospects - yet in many cases, new degree holders remain in high demand.

That is because even among the current turmoil, some recruiters - even those in the sectors hardest hit by the credit crunch - are already looking to ensure they have the skills in place to capitalize on eventual economic recovery.

These firms have learnt from past downturns, John Benson of eFinancial Careers said. They shed jobs during the downturn, but found they had a "big hole in their skills base" when the upswing inevitably came, he noted.

Many businesses are now looking to avoid a similar situation by recruiting graduates and developing their skills for two to three years down the line, Martin Birchall of graduate recruitment specialist High Fliers added.

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, business, social sciences and history and education were the majors with the highest number of new graduates in 2004-05.