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Early-career continuity is a competitive advantage

Helping young workers gain footing in first jobs is both social investment and business strategy

    • The smoothness of transitions between school and work affects both youth well-being and also the adaptability of the broader economy.
    • The smoothness of transitions between school and work affects both youth well-being and also the adaptability of the broader economy. PHOTO: CMG
    Published Tue, Oct 14, 2025 · 07:00 AM

    EMPLOYERS across Singapore face a familiar paradox. The job market is tight, yet many young graduates are still searching for better jobs and new roles. Firms compete for talent with the right skills, but fresh entrants are taking longer to find their footing.

    What is at stake are hiring costs, retention rates, Singapore’s early-career pipelines and, with them, the resilience of the country’s human-capital base.

    Over six years, the Youth Steps panel study – the first of its kind in Singapore – tracked more than 3,000 young Singaporeans from 2017 to 2022, following their pathways from study to work and into early adulthood.

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