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October 14, 2020NATIONAL GRADUATES SURVEY (CLASS OF 2015) Statistics Canada released data from the National Graduates Survey on the work-integrated learning participation and labour market outcomes of postsecondary graduates of 2015.
The National Graduates Survey collected information from persons who graduated from public postsecondary educational institutions in Canada in 2015. The survey is designed to collect details on topics such as: i) the extent to which graduates of postsecondary programs have been successful in obtaining employment since graduation; ii) the relationship between the graduates' program of study and the employment subsequently obtained; iii) the type of employment obtained and qualification requirements; iv) sources of funding for postsecondary education; and v) government-sponsored student loans and other sources of student debt.
Looking at the data across all levels of study, 90 per cent of the class of 2015 graduates nation-wide were employed with 81 per cent being in full-time employment. Estimated median gross annual earnings was $51,600 nationally with males ($56,600) earning more than females ($48,000).
Similar to the national average, 90 per cent of graduates from Nova Scotia were employed with 83 per cent having full-time employment. 61 per cent of the 2015 graduates across all levels of study participated in the work-integrated learning program, third highest share across all provinces.
Estimated median gross annual earnings for the class of 2015 graduates from Nova Scotia was $48,000, lower than the national average and the third lowest level across all provinces.
86 per cent of 2015 graduates from Nova Scotia had a permanent job, a level that is on par with the national average and the second highest across all provinces. 98 per cent of 2015 graduates were qualified for their job while 81 per cent had a job related to their studies.
However, only 81 per cent of 2015 graduates from Nova Scotia across all levels of study were satisfied with their job posting the lowest share across all provinces. Nova Scotia graduates' job satisfaction was lowest among bachelor’s degree graduates and highest among doctorate graduates.
College Degree Holders
Looking at the data for college graduates, 91 per cent of 2015 Nova Scotia college graduates were employed This was higher than the national average and the highest share across all provinces.
Estimated median gross annual earnings for 2015 college graduates across all fields of study was $37,400 in Nova Scotia, the lowest across all provinces.
Among the 2015 class of college graduates in Nova Scotia, 87 per cent had a permanent job. 78 per cent had a job related to their studies while 98 per cent of the graduates were qualified for their job. These levels were on par with the national averages. 83 per cent of Nova Scotia's 2015 graduates were satisfied with their job.
Bachelor’s Degree Holders
89 per cent of Nova Scotia's 2015 class of bachelor’s degree were employed, just under the national average of 90 per cent. Unemployment among 2015 bachelor’s graduates was 6 per cent, same as the national average.
Estimated median gross annual earnings for 2015 bachelor’s graduates from Nova Scotia across all fields of study was $50,000, the lowest across all provinces. The estimated median gross annual earnings was the same for males and females.
85 per cent of the 2015 bachelor’s degree holders had a permanent job. 98 per cent were qualified for their job while 76 per cent had jobs related to their studies. 76 per cent reported being satisfied with their job, the second lowest share among the class of 2015 graduates nationally.
Master’s Degree Holders
Among Nova Scotia's 2015 master’s degree graduates in Nova Scotia, 92 per cent were employed with 87 per cent having full-time employment. Unemployment among 2015 master’s degree holders was 3 per cent, just below the national average of 4 per cent.
Estimated median gross annual earnings for 2015 master’s degree graduates in Nova Scotia was $69,500 higher than the national median of $68,600. The median annual earnings were higher for female graduates compared to male graduates in Nova Scotia.
89 per cent of the respondents had a permanent job with 90 per cent having jobs related to their studies. 87 per cent of the 2015 master’s degree holders from Nova Scotia were satisfied with their jobs, higher than the national average of 86 per cent.
Doctorate Degree Holders
89 per cent of Nova Scotia's 2015 doctorate degree graduates were employed with 82 per cent having full-time employment.
Estimated median gross annual earnings among 2015 doctorate graduates was $73,200, a bit lower compared to the national average of $75,000.
69 per cent of the 2015 doctorate graduates had a permanent job which was the highest share across all provinces. All the 2015 doctorate graduates in Nova Scotia had a job related to their studies.
Job satisfaction among 2015 doctorate graduates (93%) from Nova Scotia was the highest across Canada.
Source: National Graduates Survey: Data Tables, 2018 (Class of 2015)
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