Full-time graduate employment falls once more—for third yr in a row

The next proportion of graduates additionally utilized for jobs, however didn’t get any affords

Employment charges for contemporary graduates from native universities noticed a decline in 2025, notably amongst these securing full-time roles, a graduate employment survey stated on Thursday (Mar 5).

The joint survey performed by Singapore’s six autonomous universities discovered that 83.4% of current graduates landed jobs inside six months of their closing exams. This was down from 87.1 % in 2024, and follows a downward development since 2021.

Of the 83.4% of graduates who discovered employment in 2025, 74.4% secured full-time positions, in comparison with 79.4% in 2024, additionally persevering with a downward development since 2022.

Extra utilized, however fewer landed affords

There was additionally the next proportion of graduates who utilized for jobs however didn’t get any affords in 2025, at 8.5%, up from 5.7% in 2024 and 4.1% in 2023.

Furthermore, extra graduates took on part-time or non permanent employment, with 7.2% doing so in 2025, from 6% in 2024 and 4.1% in 2023.

Total, 92.2% of graduates entered the labour drive in 2025, selecting work over different paths similar to additional research or taking a break, up from 90.7% in 2024.

In a joint press launch, the six native universities stated that the variety of job vacancies has moderated from the post-pandemic peak, amid diminished job turnover and slower hiring.

“This displays a extra cautious hiring sentiment amid broader financial uncertainty and geopolitical developments,” they stated.

The colleges additionally shared that whereas there proceed to be entry-level job alternatives, some outward-oriented sectors, similar to data and communications, noticed extra subdued hiring in contrast with earlier years.

It added that the survey displays graduate employment outcomes six months after commencement, which traditionally have a tendency to enhance past the six-month mark primarily based on tendencies from previous cohorts.

The place the roles are & how a lot they pay

Based on labour market information from the Ministry of Manpower, cited by the Enterprise Occasions, about 40% of entry-level vacancies for contemporary graduates are in development sectors similar to monetary and insurance coverage companies, {and professional} companies, and in occupations similar to monetary compliance officers, danger analysts and auditors.

In 2025, graduates in data and digital applied sciences achieved the best full-time everlasting employment charges, alongside these in well being sciences and constructed setting, starting from roughly 78-89%.

The median gross month-to-month wage for graduates who secured jobs inside six months remained regular at S$4,500.

Amongst them, data and digital applied sciences graduates earned the best month-to-month salaries, averaging S$5,500—unchanged from 2024.

Assist for contemporary graduates searching for jobs

Some 14,400 graduates or 73.7% of the cohort from full-time programmes on the Nationwide College of Singapore, Nanyang Technological College, Singapore Administration College, the Singapore College of Know-how and Design, the Singapore Institute of Know-how, and the Singapore College of Social Sciences took half on this survey.

The six universities surveyed them on their employment standing as of Nov 1, 2025, roughly six months after they accomplished their closing examinations.

Graduates searching for help of their job search can flip to their universities for profession teaching and take part in profession festivals.

They’ll additionally entry assets from Workforce Singapore or NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute, or think about alternatives via the Graduate Trade Traineeships and GRIT@Gov Programmes launched in October 2025.

• Learn different articles we’ve written on Singapore’s present affairs right here.

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