SAEDNEWS: In 2018-2019, technical and vocational universities had the lowest graduate employment rate at 33.73%. Other institutions had varying rates: Payam Noor University (40.45%), Ministry of Science (40.81%), government agencies (45.16%), non-profits (46.39%), and Azad University (51.77%).
SaedNews cited Farhikhtegan newspaper, reporting that employment among graduates during the 2018-2019 academic year was evenly split at 50%, with the remaining 50% unemployed. This reflects a notable decline compared to the 2014-2015 academic year, where the employment rate was 60% and unemployment stood at 40%.
The data highlights that many graduates, for various reasons, choose not to enter the labor market. Some pursue higher education, while others take jobs that are not recognized as formal employment under insurance records. Compared to 2017-2018, the 2018-2019 period saw a 7% drop in employed graduates, coupled with a 7% rise in unemployment.
Over the past five academic years, the overall employment rate for graduates entering the workforce has remained relatively unchanged.
An analysis of graduate employment by gender for 2018-2019 shows that 58.89% of men found employment, compared to only 37.48% of women. This marks a sharp decline for women, who had a higher employment rate of 59.23% just four years earlier, in 2014-2015. Starting from 2015-2016, women’s entry into the job market has consistently declined, with fewer than 40% of female graduates entering the workforce. It is also important to note that, culturally and socially, male employment is often given greater priority.
Employment trends among university subsystems reveal stark differences. Teachers’ Training Universities (Farhangian) stand out, as their students receive salaries during their studies and, upon graduation, are obligated to serve, guaranteeing workforce entry. Similarly, universities affiliated with the Ministry of Health show high employment rates due to strong market demand in the healthcare sector.
In contrast, other subsystems have experienced declining employment rates over the past five academic years. For 2018-2019, the lowest employment rate was observed in technical and vocational universities (33.73%), followed by Payam Noor University (40.45%), Ministry of Science institutions (40.81%), government agencies (45.16%), non-profit institutions (46.39%), and Azad University (51.77%).
On the other end of the spectrum, Teachers’ Training Universities had the highest employment rate at 97.91%, followed by Ministry of Health universities at 76.31%.
A comparison of 2017-2018 with 2018-2019 shows a shift in graduates’ attitudes across all university subsystems, with an increased focus on securing a larger share of the job market. This shift is particularly evident among graduates from Payam Noor University, Ministry of Science institutions, and technical and vocational universities.
While it’s still too early to predict whether this trend will continue in the coming years, observations from the 2017-2018 to 2018-2019 period suggest that more graduates are prioritizing workforce entry and economic activity after completing their studies.
