First-degree and diploma graduates increasingly secure jobs in their fields, with skilled employment also on the rise
KUALA LUMPUR: The percentage of first-degree and diploma graduates employed in jobs aligned with their fields of study has increased steadily from 2021 to 2024.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education Adam Adli Abd Halim said that for first-degree graduates, those working in related jobs rose by 3.3%, from 54.3% in 2021 to 57.6% in 2024.
He added that for diploma graduates, employment in field-related jobs increased by 9.5%, from 43.8% in 2021 to 53.3% in 2024.
Adam Adli also noted that the percentage of first-degree and diploma graduates employed in skilled jobs grew to 68.2% and 50% respectively in 2024.
This compares with 67.1% and 44.7% in 2021.
Meanwhile, the share of graduates working in semi-skilled and low-skilled jobs declined to 50% in 2024, down from 55.3% in 2021.
“The decline in semi-skilled and low-skilled employment reflects the rise in skilled job opportunities, supported by the country’s economic development and government initiatives,” he said during a Dewan Rakyat session.
Adam Adli was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman).
The query sought data on graduates working outside their field and the government’s measures to reduce these figures.
