Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1991

Employment Survey of 1990 Graduates A Summary Report The University's Appointments Service conducts annually an employment survey on the year's graduates and diplomates to obtain information about their career destinations after graduation. A survey on the 1990 graduates was conducted between September and December 1990. Out of a total of 1,181 full-time first-degree graduates (excluding medical students), 1,119 returned completed and valid questionnaires, giving a response rate of 94.8 per cent. The response rates of part-time first-degree graduates ， full-time higher-degree graduates and diplomates were 97.6per cent ， 89.4 per cent and 93.1 per cent respectively. Unless otherwise indicated in the text ， percentages quoted in this report are based on the number of respondents in employment. First-degree Graduates Destinations Respondents to the survey numbered 1,119. Of these 961 had started work locally, 109 were pursuing further studies, six were travelling, four emigrated abroad, one was working overseas, 37 were still seeking suitable employment at the time of analysis, and one remained unemployed for personal reasons. General Trends Similar to the previous year, the commercial and industrial sector was the major recruiter, absorbing some 58 per cent of the graduates. It was followed by the education sector, which provided employment for 25 per cent of the graduates. The civil service and the social and public service sector each took 10.2 per cent and 6.3 per cent of the graduates respectively. Arts Graduates The education sector remained the major outlet for arts graduates, despite a continuous drop in the percentage of students joining that sector from 66.7 in 1986 to 53.9 in 1990. On the other hand, an increase of about 10 per cent was noticed in the number of those joining the commercial and industrial sector over the same period. Business Administration Graduates The employment trend for business administration graduates has been rather consistent over the last five years. Each year the commercial and industrial sector attracted over 80 per cent of the graduates. In 1990, the figure was further increased to 86 per cent. Science Graduates The employment situation of science graduates was similar to that of 1989. About 72 per cent of the graduates joined the commercial and industrial sector while one quarter of the graduates took up employment in the education sector. The computer profession continued to be very attractive , absorbing some 84 per cent of the computer majors, 46.1 per cent of the statistics majors, 39.2 per cent STUDENTS 26