A university degree may no longer be the golden ticket to an ideal job in Singapore amid a growing pool of degree holders and fast-changing economy.
In 2013, 2.3 percent of graduates were underemployed - highly skilled workers engaged in low-paying or low-skilled positions or that could only find part-time jobs - a tick higher from 2.2 percent in 2012, according to the Ministry of Manpower.
Retrenched middle-aged degree holders that face difficulty in re-employment are at the heart of underemployment, according to Hui Weng Tat, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Policy, but underemployment among graduates is on the rise due to a culmination of factors.
"Wages in Singapore are high and companies often look to reduce cost by outsourcing low-added value roles. Unfortunately, this means that roles for graduates can be hard to come by as Singapore becomes more of an executive hub," Emmanuel White, regional director of Hudson Singapore, told CNBC via email. Full story
