KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The percentage of graduates with diplomas and their first bachelor’s degrees employed in jobs aligned with their fields of study has increased steadily from 2021 to 2024, said Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim.
He said that for first-bachelor’s graduates, those working in jobs related to their field rose by 3.3 per cent, from 54.3 per cent in 2021 to 57.6 per cent in 2024, while for diploma-holders, employment in field-related jobs increased by 9.5 per cent, from 43.8 per cent in 2021 to 53.3 per cent in 2024.
Adam Adli also noted that the percentage of first-bachelor’s and diploma graduates employed in skilled jobs grew to 68.2 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, in 2024, compared with 67.1 per cent and 44.7 per cent in 2021.
Meanwhile, the share of graduates working in semi- and low-skill jobs declined to 50 per cent in 2024, down from 55.3 per cent in 2021.
“The decline in semi- and low-skill employment reflects the rise in skilled jobs, supported by the country’s economic development and government initiatives,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Adam Adli was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman) about the percentage of graduates working in semi-skilled jobs or outside their fields of study from 2021 to 2025, as well as the government’s interventions and strategic measures to lower these figures annually.
