Employment rate of private uni grads drops, but median salary inches up slightly

SINGAPORE: Fewer graduates from private education institutions are finding jobs shortly after graduation, as the job market cools and companies pull back on hiring, according to SkillsFuture Singapore’s annual Private Education Institution (PEI) graduate employment survey.

Out of all private school students who graduated between May 2023 and April 2024, 75% of graduates found work within six months of finishing their studies, down from the 83% that was recorded last year.

Around 46% of those who found work secured full-time positions, while another 24% took on part-time or temporary roles. About 4% said they were self-employed.

Despite the softer job market, median starting salaries have inched upward. The median monthly salary for full-time employed graduates came in at S$3,500, up from S$3,400 the year before.

However, this still lags behind peers from autonomous universities, whose median stands S$1,000 higher.

PEI graduates earned roughly S$500 more than polytechnic diploma holders who have completed National Service.

The report found that graduates from engineering, science, and business-related courses were most likely to land full-time jobs. Meanwhile, those who specialised in information and digital technology reported the highest median salaries across all disciplines.