28 May 2020

Nominated MP Walter Theseira, who is also Singapore University of Social Sciences’ associate professor of economics, said: “I think wages are more sticky than job openings, so rather than wages falling substantially to accommodate (the reduced demand for employees), it’s more likely that employers simply will be reluctant to hire.”

Prof Theseira said having a job that builds some skills, such as traineeship programmes, could be better for first time job seekers than waiting for the ideal job or being under-employed.

“I am not a big fan of the idea that the solution is to get a graduate degree. Those are not good substitutes for experience in the field and they put you in competition with the next cohort for entry-level positions,” said Prof Theseira.

Responding to the lower employment prospects for fresh university graduates this year, the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University have engaged employers and curated job openings for graduating students.

Acknowledging that students’ job search this year may take longer than in the past, an NTU spokesman urged them to be open-minded, and said that the university will support those who need help.

NUS had earlier said that it is opening up 200 full-time jobs and 800 paid traineeship positions across its faculties and research institutes for graduates. NTU also plans to open up several hundred paid traineeships for final-year undergraduates from all disciplines.