I see from other comments you're from non-London-area England, so excuse my comment - I was thinking of the US or Australia, where demand for programmers could

I see from other comments you're from non-London-area England, so excuse my comment - I was thinking of the US or Australia, where demand for programmers could only be described as "red hot". I'd advise your unemployed CS grad friends to come over here (Sydney) for a working holiday; they'll get work within days if they have in-demand skills (web/ios/android).