Fewer fresh uni grads find full-time work, but they get higher pay: Survey

Global uncertainty, skills mismatch seen as possible reasons for tougher job hunt

- Gabrielle Chan

Graduates fresh out of university found it harder to find full-time permanent jobs, with the proportion dropping below 80 per cent, according to the latest graduate employment survey.

Results from the survey, which were released on Feb 24, showed that 79.5 per cent of graduates secured full-time positions in 2024, down from 84.1 per cent in 2023.

But those who did find full-time jobs saw higher earnings, with the median gross monthly salary at $4,500 in 2024, up from $4,317 in 2023.

More fresh graduates were unemployed - 12.9 per cent in 2024, up from 10.4 per cent in 2023. This group refers to those who are unemployed and looking for a job or about to start work or business ventures.

More of them were also in part-time or temporary work - 6 per cent, up from 4 per cent in 2023 - or doing freelance work (1.6 per cent, up from 1.5 per cent in 2023). Most graduates in this group were in such roles voluntarily.

Some 12,500 graduates from full-time programmes at National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University, the Singapore University of Technology and Design and Singapore University of Social Sciences took part in this survey, representing a response rate of 73.3 per cent.

They were surveyed by the five universities on their employment status as at Nov 1, 2024, about six months after the completion of their final examinations.

Due to different academic calendars, the surveys for the Singapore Institute of Technology are ongoing and will be released later.