A TOTAL of 160,970 graduates from the public and private institutions have been employed as of Nov 5, Labour Department records revealed.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib told the Dewan Negara that the ministry helped the graduates secure employment through job placement programmes organised by the department.
“The department also helped 47,559 graduates get jobs,” Ismail said in replying to a question by Senator Datuk Yahaya Mat Ghani yesterday.
Ismail said based on the Graduate Tracer Study held last year by the Education Ministry, the number of unemployed graduates stood at 53,282, comprising 18,640 males and 34,642 females.
Most unemployed graduates were between 21 and 25, which stood at 88.91 per cent, or 47,374 people.
It was reported that among the main reasons for unemployment, according to a study by Universiti Utara Malaysia and the department, were choosy employees.
“Most people looking for jobs do not want to work in sectors that are dirty, difficult or dangerous, or have unreasonable expectations of remuneration and benefits,” Ismail said.
He said employers could also be choosy in selecting candidates to fill vacancies in their companies according to looks, experience and skills.
Ismail said among the measures taken by the government was the implementation of the Graduate Employability Blueprint (2012-2017) at the
end of last year to ensure the marketability
of graduates before they entered the workforce.