Results in the core subjects of English and maths did improve and the government hopes for big gains in these two area. In England it is looking at how to introduce "functional skills" tests - in areas such as grammar, spelling and basic numeracy - to English and maths GCSEs.

Research from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) recently published suggests 22% of employers would not recruit workers without five good GCSEs or the vocational equivalent.   The LSC spoke to 412 employers and found 15% ignored CVs if the job applicant did not have five good GCSEs.   Some 79% believed such applicants would struggle in their company, while 30% thought they would show less commitment than those with higher qualifications.

On average, employers said they would pay someone a starting salary £1,700 higher (17%) if they had five good GCSEs.

The director of young people's learning at the LSC, Julia Dowd, said: "The vast majority of employers we questioned said they would urge school-leavers to continue in education or training and think about the wide choice available at college or on a work-based learning programme.  By not dropping out, young people significantly improve their job prospects and earning potential."

The statistics published by the joint council relate to the performance of the exam entries, not the candidates.

The first collated statistics on candidates' performance - such as how many did get the equivalent of at least five good GCSEs, with and without English and maths - are due in October.