Project CEMAPRE internal
| Title | Determinants of Higher Education Graduates economic outcomes The case of ISEG´s Higher Education Graduates |
| Participants | Graça Leão Fernandes (Principal Investigator) |
| Summary | There is a widespread belief that Higher Education (HE) improves graduates’ economic outcomes, employability, and wages. As a result, graduate employability has become a key political priority, with universities expected to develop relevant skills. However, the link between HE and labour market success is increasingly contested, as many graduates face underemployment and low wages. Efforts by universities to align education with employer demands and expand career services have not fully matched labour market realities. Skill mismatch is common, with many graduates working in roles that underutilize their qualifications, contributing to job insecurity. Much research overlooks broader social and economic factors shaping employability and wages, leading to a limited understanding. The graduate labour market is congested, with an oversupply of graduates causing overqualification, intensified competition, and reinforced inequalities. Barriers such as class, gender, and ethnicity continue to affect access to quality employment and limit social mobility. In Portugal, the number of HE graduates has grown since the 2016/17 economic recovery, but labour market outcomes reflect these broader trends. The expansion of traditional graduate jobs has not kept pace with the rise in graduates, leading to longer job search periods, uncertain transitions, reduced wage advantages over non-graduates, and greater wage inequality. Delays in securing a first job can hinder skill development and lead to a loss of human capital, representing a cost for both individuals and society. Lower wages and rising inequality also weaken graduates’ bargaining power. |
| URL | https://eera-ecer.de/conferences/ecer-2026-tampere |