A new publication released today, The Class of '95: Report of the 1997 National Survey of 1995 Graduates provides a comprehensive look at how 1995 graduates of trade and vocational schools, colleges and universities fared in the labour market two years after graduation. The 1997 National Survey of 1995 Graduates, conducted in partnership with Human Resources Development Canada, interviewed 43,000 graduates about their education, training and labour market experiences, two years after graduation.
In 1995, nearly 300,000 students graduated from these institutions. They entered the labour market in favourable times, while the economy was generally expanding. In June 1997, two years after they graduated, 79% of trade and vocational graduates, 85% of college graduates and 83% of university graduates were employed either full-time or part-time. These percentages were similar to previous graduating classes of 1990, 1986, and 1982.
University commerce and engineering graduates were the most successful in finding full-time work. Two years after graduation, 85% of university commerce and 81% of engineering graduates were working full-time. Only 5% of commerce and 3% of engineering graduates were working part-time during the same period, the lowest rate among all 1995 university graduates.
About 14% of college and university graduates had part-time jobs two years after graduating, a higher proportion than previous graduating classes in 1990, 1986 and 1982. However, only about one-quarter of university graduates in 1995 and one-third of college graduates who were working part-time two years later did so because they could not find a full-time job.
Among college and university graduates, men had higher rates of full-time employment than women. However, about 12% of female university graduates were not working full-time because of family responsibilities or because of a personal preference to work fewer hours.
Slightly over 50% of all 1995 graduates who were working full-time two years after graduation reported working in jobs closely related to their degree. About 22% reported working in jobs somewhat related to their degree.
Graduates with high levels of education attainment had lower unemployment rates in June 1997. Compared with the last three National Graduates Surveys (of 1992, 1988, and 1984), unemployment rates among college and university graduates have remained stable and have been less volatile than unemployment rates for trade or vocational graduates, which fluctuate more with changing labour market conditions. Unemployment rates in 1997 were lowest among college and trade/vocational programs in health, social science and engineering. For university graduates, unemployment rates were lowest among graduates from education, commerce, engineering and health programs.
University graduates continued to earn more than postsecondary graduates at the college and trade or vocational level. University graduates working full-time had median earnings of $33,800 in current 1997 dollars. This compared with median earnings of $25,700 for college graduates working full-time and $23,400 for those from trade or vocational schools.
Thirteen in-depth research papers on various aspects of the National Graduates Surveys (NGS) will be available later this year. These papers will encompass NGS and follow-up data from 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1995 graduation years, with longitudinal analysis including labour market transitions, skill use, employment equity issues, further postsecondary education and training, occupation pathways, and job satisfaction.
Further information on these graduates tabulated by occupation and industry is available separately.
The 1997 National Graduate Survey of 1995 Graduates (NGS97) Microdata Package is now available on CD-ROM. The CD contains the NGS97 microdata file, a user's guide and a record layout. To order a copy of the microdata package, contact Bill Magnus (613-951-4577; special@statcan.gc.ca), Special Surveys Division.
The Class of '95: Report of the 1997 National Survey of 1995 Graduates is now available. To obtain the publication, please send a fax to the Public Enquiries Centre of Human Resources Development Canada at (819-953-7260). This publication is also available through the Internet at www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/arb.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods, and data quality of this release, contact Shelley Harris (613-951-1532) at Statistics Canada, or Jean-Pierre Voyer (819-994-1620) at Human Resources Development Canada. To make general inquiries, contact Sharon-Anne Gibbs (613-951-1503), Centre for Education Statistics.