SINGAPORE – Fresh graduates may be taking longer to land their first full-time jobs, but overall employment prospects for young degree holders remain stable, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng in Parliament on May 5.
He was responding to a supplementary question from MP David Hoe, who raised concerns that young people without strong internship experiences or professional networks could be disadvantaged in a labour market that increasingly rewards early exposure and connections.
The concerns were reflected in a Straits Times opinion piece highlighting poorer fresh graduate employment outcomes. For instance, just 74.4 per cent of the 2025 university graduates in the labour force secured a full-time job, down from 87.5 per cent in 2022.
“The statistics cited in the article pertain to fresh graduate employment outcomes, which have softened from recent peaks,” Dr Tan said.
But he added that this needs to be viewed in context, as the peak occurred after Singapore emerged from Covid-19, when companies facing a backlog of demand were rushing to hire.
Instead of focusing on year-on-year fluctuations, he pointed to longer-term trends among young graduates. Among degree holders aged 25 to 29, employment rates have remained “broadly stable” at around 90 per cent over the past decade, he noted.
This shows that while some graduates may take longer to secure full-time roles initially, most are able to find employment over time. “So therefore this actually points to a longer school-to-work transition, rather than a broad decline in graduate employment,” he added.
Regarding concerns over unequal access to internships and networks, Dr Tan said the Government is working with institutes of higher learning (IHLs) to expand access to internships, industry attachments and career advisory services.
He also cited the Global Ready Talent Programme, which supports overseas internships, as one initiative that has seen “quite a good measure of success” and has been extended.
Several MPs also raised questions about the Manpower Ministry’s recent findings that about one in five Singapore workers are overqualified for their jobs, and whether there are strategies in place to help reduce skills mismatch.
Dr Tan said at the pre-employment phase, the IHLs will work closely with industry partners to equip students with industry-relevant technical competencies and skills.
“Beyond initial qualifications, workers must embrace lifelong learning,” he said.
The merger of Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore into the Skills and Workforce Development Agency will create a single touchpoint for training, career guidance and job opportunities, which will be able to help jobseekers find options that better match their skills and preference, he noted.
