25 May 2018
Based on a recent survey on underemployment jointly conducted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute, the health and social services sectors in Singapore have the highest share of underemployed graduates.
The survey found that the majority of companies involved were primarily serving the domestic market (the figure stands at 64 per cent).
The survey, which was carried out from August to November last year, also found that a few graduates in financial services, transport and education, were also hit hard.
The median age of the underemployed graduates surveyed was 35 years old.
Underemployment occurs when highly skilled people work in low-paying or low-skilled jobs.
The survey found that the challenges faced by underemployed graduates in Singapore include the lack of skills recognition at the workplace, income insecurity and inadequate retirement savings.