Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey 2024

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Xie Yao Quan, Jurong GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in view of the results of the Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey (JAUGES) 2024, whether the Ministry will consider further measures to boost the proportion of fresh graduates securing full-time permanent (FTP) jobs after graduation.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo, East Coast GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in view of the 2024 Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey (JAUGES) which showed that salaries were higher but fewer graduates found employment within six months of completing their final exams (a) what factors are contributing to the decrease in the employment rate; (b) how do the fresh graduate employment rates vary across sectors; and (c) what is driving the increase in median salary among fresh graduates despite fewer jobs on offer.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan, Pioneer SMC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in respect of the Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey 2024, what is the Ministry doing to monitor, manage, and mitigate the higher unemployment rate of fresh graduates as compared to the past two years.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Pritam Singh, Aljunied GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in view of the 2024 Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey, what is the Ministry’s assessment of the continued downward trend of university graduates being able to secure a job six months after graduation.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Leong Mun Wai, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in view of the rising proportion of fresh university graduates who are not in full-time permanent employment (a) whether the Ministry will monitor different graduate cohorts for longer periods to track the proportion that has secured full-time permanent employment; and (b) if not, why not.

Combined Response

1. Mr Speaker, my response will also address questions raised by Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Leong Mun Wai, which are scheduled for subsequent sittings.
2. Employment rates are affected by various factors such as economic and labour market conditions. The employment rates of fresh graduates from AUs have remained broadly stable over the decade, with some year-to-year fluctuations due to cyclical changes.
3. The labour market saw a strong recovery in 2021 and 2022 post-COVID. In comparison, while the labour market was still tight, there was lower hiring demand and fewer vacancies in 2024. We also observed some graduates taking longer to secure full-time employment in 2024. These may have contributed to the reported decrease in full-time permanent (FTP) employment rate and increase in the unemployment rate of graduates from our Autonomous Universities at six months post-graduation, as compared to 2023.
4. Even as there was a broad decline in FTP employment rates, some clusters such as Health Sciences and Business continued to see strong employment outcomes. Median salaries for fresh graduates have also continued to rise, with, a year-on-year increase of 4.2% in 2024, even as the total number of fresh AU graduates increased over the past five years. This indicates that employers continue to value the skills of our graduates. It also reflects the Government’s commitment to creating good jobs, especially in growth sectors.
5. Beyond cyclical fluctuations, we will continue to monitor broader social trends, such as evolving market demand, changing job preferences and aspirations, including more work flexibility and higher salary expectations, that may also affect the employment of our graduates upon graduation. Apart from the Graduate Employment Survey, which tracks employment outcomes six months after graduation, the Government also monitors the medium-term outcomes of our graduates through periodic labour market surveys. These continuous efforts will enable our curriculum to remain relevant and responsive to market demand.
6. The AUs will continue to engage industry partners to organise industry talks and career fairs to expose students to emerging sector trends, in-demand skills and connect them with potential employers. Alongside the broad-based employment support and career guidance offered to all students and graduates, personalised career coaching is also available at the respective AU Career Centres.
7. Graduates who require further support in their job search may continue to reach out to the Career Centres, even after graduation. They may also tap on the career matching services and online resources offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i).