To be effective, graduates need to use the skills acquired at university. For both engineers and non-engineers, the match improved with the length of time after graduation. The job-education skill match was highest for 1990 graduates in all disciplines. The amount of income is another indicator of how a graduate's skills are being used. Higher earnings generally mean that a graduate has sought-after skills and is applying them.
Engineers earn more money than non-engineers two years and five years after graduation.
The researchers also developed an index to measure overall job satisfaction. Employment sectors and mobility of engineers An examination of the employment pattern of the three graduating classes suggests that new engineering graduates react to market conditions by moving to sectors where opportunities are greatest. Engineers who are already employed also shift sectors but to a much lesser extent than new graduates. Despite the existence of the lock-in effect, employed engineers appear to be quite mobile. An additional 17 to 19 percent change employers within a sector.