Nearly nine in 10 graduates, or 88.9 per cent, found jobs within six months of their final examinations, down from 89.5 per cent in 2016.PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Fresh university graduates earned a record high starting pay last year (2017), although a lower proportion of them were in full-time jobs.

They took home a median monthly salary of $3,400, up from $3,300 in 2016, according to results of a joint graduate employment survey released on Monday (Feb 26).

Nearly nine in 10 graduates, or 88.9 per cent, found jobs within six months of their final examinations, down from 89.5 per cent in 2016. This refers to the number of graduates in full-time, part-time, temporary or freelance work.

Another 3 per cent of graduates had accepted job offers, but had yet to start work at the time of the survey, compared to 2 per cent the year before.

But the proportion of graduates who secured full-time permanent employment fell from 79.9 per cent in 2016 to 78.4 per cent last year.

More went into freelance work - 2.4 per cent compared to 1.7 per cent in 2016. The proportion of graduates in part-time or temporary jobs remained at about 8 per cent.

The survey, which was conducted last November, polled 11,628 full-time fresh graduates from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU).

Full story at http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/record-starting-pay-for-university-graduates-more-in-freelance-work-survey