Entrance into the labour market, upper secondary graduates

Smaller proportion of people in work three years after leaving upper secondary school

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2020-11-03 9.30

Around 70 percent of school leavers who received a diploma from an upper secondary school vocational programme three years ago had a job in the spring 2020. This is around 10 percentage points less than in the 2017 follow-up.

These figures are based on a questionnaire survey addressed to pupils who received a diploma from upper secondary school three years ago. The survey was carried out between April and June 2020. According to the survey answers, the coronavirus pandemic affected the labour market.

Among pupils who received diplomas from higher education preparatory programmes, just over 70 percent had studied in higher education after completing upper secondary school, and studies was the main activity among just over 60 percent in spring 2020. As in the 2017 follow-up, just over half of the school leavers with a diploma from a higher education preparatory programme who were studying in higher education considered that their upper secondary studies to a large extent prepared them for higher education studies.

One-third of the pupils with a diploma from a higher education preparatory programme had work as their main activity, which is a decrease of roughly 10 percentage points compared with the previous follow-up in 2017.

Main activity in spring 2020, by sex and type of programme

Agreement between upper secondary education and work remains high

Just over half of those with a diploma from a vocational programme considered that their work was completely or to a large extent in line with the subject area of their education. As in previous follow-ups, this proportion was larger among men than among women. The degree of agreement between education and work has remained constant since the 2017 follow-up.

Agreement between work and the subject area of the education, by sex

One-third of pupils with a diploma from a vocational programme considered that their education to a large extent had prepared them for working life. This perception was present regardless whether or not they had work in spring 2020. The corresponding proportion in the 2017 follow-up was just over 40 percent.

Almost one in three men with a diploma from a vocational programme has, or has had, an apprenticeship after upper secondary school. The corresponding percentage among women was just under 10 percent.

Coronavirus pandemic has affected school leavers' main activity

Around 70 percent of school leavers with a diploma from upper secondary school considered that their main activity was affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the spring 2020. Among school leavers with work as their main activity, around one in four stated that they had or were going to reduce their working hours as a result of the pandemic. Among school leavers who had studies as their main activity, just over 60 percent stated that the pandemic had had or would have a negative effect on their studies. In addition, nearly half of those seeking employment stated that they felt it had become more difficult to find a job.

Publication

A more detailed presentation of the results is available in the report Entrance into the labour market, upper secondary graduates.

Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.