Take a gap year? Fresh grads putting job hunt first amid market uncertainty

Data shows more applicants vying for each posting amid decline in listings on portals

- Megan Wee

Forget about taking a gap year or going on a grand graduation trip. Job security is weighing on the minds of many young graduates who are entering a job market scarred by the trade war.

Amid the uncertainty triggered by the US tariff chaos, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, and, more recently, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat have each cautioned fresh graduates about the challenging hiring outlook. DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, has further urged them to stay open-minded about different job roles and salary expectations.

Some young graduates like Blair (not her real name) appear to have taken heed of these warnings.

The 23-year-old business major from the Singapore Management University (SMU) began her job hunt in May and has since applied for over 50 roles. She has yet to hear from any recruiters.

Blair said that, within her social circle, only one friend who graduated in 2024 had managed to secure a contract role in May.

"There's really a sense of anxiety, I would say, even among high-performing students," she told The Straits Times, adding that good grades and stellar internship experiences did not seem to have boosted their chances of landing an interview.

Blair's concern is not unfounded. Recent checks with various job portals show a drop in job listings targeted at fresh graduates.

Singapore employer demand for graduates has eased, said senior Asia-Pacific economist Callam Pickering from Indeed, a job matching and hiring platform.

From January to April, graduate postings tracked 19 per cent below the same period in 2024, marking the third consecutive year of decline following a red-hot market that peaked in 2022.