Graduate underemployment is likely to rise in the next 10 years as more people get university degrees, according to a new study.

The findings highlight the gap between the supply of graduates and high-skilled jobs across European countries.

Researchers found the proportion of the population with tertiary qualifications is increasing in all countries studied, and predict the trend will continue.

The study revealed a mixed picture of good and bad developments in the graduate labour market.

While the UK and Ireland, along with Nordic countries, have seen a growth in high-skilled jobs in recent years, the study concludes most developed western countries will see an increase in underemployment over the coming decade.

In most countries, the average graduate earnings premium, relative to workers with upper secondary education, has remained largely stationary, the study, published as a Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE) working paper on Monday, found.

The paper's co-author, University College London (UCL) Professor Francis Green, said: "The prospects for a successfully employed and contented graduate workforce in the coming decade look far from rosy."Researchers also warned a potential new wave of technology could also affect jobs and pointed to the stagnation in the demand for high skills in the United States.

A separate study by the same authors investigating jobs in 31 countries found almost a third required a degree.