Media

HKU Careers Education and Placement Centre Graduate Situation of HKU 2003 Graduates

31 May 2004

 

Unengaged rate dropped to 0.3%

When students graduated in the summer of 2003, the job market was still under the influence of SARS. Fortunately it recovered towards the end of the year with only a slight drop in graduate trainee vacancies. The number of JIJIS (Joint Institution Job Information System) positions that were open to new graduates dropped by only 5.7%; from 7181 in 2002 to 6773 in 2003. Furthermore, the Labour Department’s GETS (Graduate Employment Training Scheme) also pulled in 1542 positions. This recovery resulted in satisfactory employment rates for new graduates. All Research Postgraduates (M.Phil. and Ph.D.) were either employed or pursuing further studies at the time of the annual employment survey. Only 0.3% of the new Bachelor’s Degree, and 1.3% of Taught Postgraduates, were still available when surveyed; many of whom were not over anxious about employment prospects but were holding out for their preferred opportunities.

Public sector employment dropped in 2003

Following the trend of budget cuts in the public sector, a larger proportion of new graduates found employment in Commerce and Industry.

Income dropped by 6.5%

The drop in average income was expected as most, if not all, employers tightened spending. The drop was exacerbated by the low hiring number in the public sector which hitherto was a major destination for HKU graduates.

Nevertheless, those employers who traditionally offered premium starting salaries continued to do so. Individuals who have outstanding achievements and were vocationally mature continued to do well irrespective of their subject of study.

* These figures relate to Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies (BA(AS)) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) graduates only and are lower than salaries for Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) and Master of Architecture (MArch) graduates.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Louisa Li, Director of Careers Education and Placement Centre, HKU at 2241 5231 or by mail: louisali@hku.hk.