The number of fresh polytechnic graduates who secured full-time permanent (FTP) employment six months after graduation dipped to 48.3% in 2025, but median income increased for those who found employment.
The finding was revealed in the 2025 Polytechnic Graduate Employment Survey (GES) conducted jointly by Singapore’s five polytechnics, released by Nanyang Polytechnic on Jan 15.
The latest FTP employment for fresh graduates signals a falling trend over the last three years, with full-time employment at 49.2% in 2024 and 55.5% in 2023.
However, FTP employment for combined graduates, including post-national service (PNS) graduates from the 2022 cohort, was higher at 54.2% in 2025, compared with 48.3% for fresh graduates only.
FTP employment for combined graduates also reflected a declining trend, falling from 59.8% in 2023 to 54.6% in 2024.
32.9% of the fresh graduates found part-time/temporary employment, an improvement from 31.6% in 2024 and 32.3% in 2023.
Overall, for combined graduates, part-time/temporary employment was lower than fresh graduates at 28.2% in 2025, as a higher proportion found FTP jobs.
Fresh graduates who accepted a job offer and will be starting later accounted for 2.7% in 2025, remaining relatively stable over the past three years.
The proportion of fresh graduates who were freelancing was 4.3%, declining from 4.7% in 2024 but improving from 3.9% in 2023.
Some fresh graduates took steps to start a business venture but constituted a negligible 0.4% in 2025, comparable with 0.6% in 2024 and 0.7% in 2023.
A higher proportion of fresh graduates rejected FTP job offers, rising to 1.5% in 2025 from 1.2% in 2024 and 0.8% in 2023.
The proportion of fresh graduates who did not look for any job increased to 1.8% in 2025, continuing an upward trend from 1.6% in 2024 and 1.0% in 2023.
The survey also indicates an increasing trend over the past three years of fresh polytechnic graduates being unable to secure FTP employment despite applying for it.
The survey reported that 8.2% of fresh graduates were unable to secure a FTP job in 2025, representing an almost threefold increase from 2.9% in 2023, despite a slight improvement from 8.4% in 2024.
For combined graduates, 7.1% applied for but did not receive any FTP job offers in 2025, representing an increase of about 2.7 times from 2.6% in 2023, but a slight improvement from 7.2% in 2024.
The shift in FTP employment trends among polytechnic graduates reflects a growing emphasis on skilled labour.
The Straits Times reported Ms Karen Lim, a strategic partnership manager at employment agency RecruitHaus, saying that job market conditions for fresh graduates have shifted in recent years, reflecting a broader move from hiring based solely on qualifications to hiring based on skills.
According to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM), there were four in ten vacancies in growth sectors such as Information & Communications, Financial & Insurance Services, and Professional Services. The vacancy rate suggests difficulty in finding suitable workers to fill the roles.
The declining trend in FTP employment for polytechnic graduates also reflects a slowdown in hiring or company restructuring, with more firms favouring the recruitment of part-time or temporary workers.
“Some outward-oriented sectors, such as Information and Communications, saw subdued economic and resident employment growth due to the uncertain global economic environment,” the press release stated.
According to MOM, “the indicators show a labour market shifting towards a lower-churn hiring environment”.
“Firms are more cautious in creating new roles, while employees are switching jobs less frequently as they perceive fewer opportunities,” it added.
The declining FTP employment rate also suggests a structural shift in the job market, as companies adopt artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and digitalisation, reshaping the hiring landscape in Singapore and globally.
According to a report by Tlobal released in November last year, nine in ten local organisations (91 percent) reported AI-related role changes or displacement, corresponding with the global findings based on new research from IDC, commissioned by Deel.
“Deel said in a statement that the new research has revealed a workforce in rapid transition: two in three global organisations (66 percent) expect to slow entry-level hiring over the next three years due to AI.”
According to data from Jobstreet by Seek, the number of entry-level postings in Singapore fell by more than 25 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, even as total job openings rose slightly by four percent.
“Many entry-level roles are being reshaped as more companies embrace automation to handle routine tasks traditionally assigned to junior team members,” said Ms Yuh Yng Chook, the director of Asia sales and APAC service at Seek, which owns Jobstreet and Jobs, according to a report by CNA.
Bright spots in hiring remain for some sectors.
“Fresh graduates continue to be in demand, with an increase in the number of entry-level vacancies to 39,000 in September 2025, up from 26,000 in September 2024,” according to the press release.
“Four in ten entry-level vacancies are in growth sectors such as Information & Communications, Financial & Insurance Services, and Professional Services,” the report added.
Overall Rise in Median Salary
Across the course clusters, the overall median gross monthly salary of combined graduates in FTP employment increased by 3.4% from $2,900 to $3,000 in 2025.
The median gross salary showed an increasing trend over the last three years from $2,800 in 2023.
Combined graduates from the Humanities and Social Sciences cluster earned the highest, at $3,200, while those from the Arts, Design & Media and Sciences clusters earned the lowest, at $2,700.
