More specifically, about four out of five college and university graduates were employed full-time in 1995, with less than ten percent working in jobs unrelated to their education. Text version As far as earnings are concerned, the early 1990s were a time of salary and wage freezes. Between 1992 and 1995, median earnings of 1990 graduates had increased by an overall 11 to 18 percent depending on the level of study. The earnings of 1990 graduates five years after graduation were generally only slightly below earnings levels reported in earlier follow-up surveys. This relative stability of employment and earnings at the five-year mark implies that, contrary to public perception, the 1990 graduates have experienced similar patterns of settling into the labour market and are employed at a similar rate to earlier graduates five years after graduation.
Higher education is clearly important to achieving success in the labour market.
Also, those graduates who obtained additional qualifications had an unemployment rate in 1995 that was about two percentage points less than other graduates. Interestingly, about half of the 1990 graduates pursued further education after graduation with one-third obtaining additional qualifications. These high numbers support the suggestion that more than one degree may be required to make a successful transition to work, a requirement that may have been emphasized by the economic slowdown. Text version Higher earnings are also associated with higher levels of education. Greatest job growth in science, engineering and social sciences Unemployment rates varied with field of study as well as educational level.