Frictional unemployment occurs when workers spend time looking for a job. This can include fresh graduates.

This can pose a problem as unemployment indicates that the economy is not operating at full capacity, which would hinder economic growth.

It can also create emotional and financial distress for the unemployed worker.

It has been reported that some private university degree holders, despite having good grades and even postgraduate qualifications from prestigious universities overseas, have difficulty getting interviews for government jobs (Prospects improve for private-school graduates 5 years on, Feb 24).

Policies should be implemented to bring about a paradigm shift in the minds of employers when it comes to employing private-school graduates in Singapore, so as to reduce frictional unemployment.

Government agencies can set an example for other local companies by judging candidates on their abilities instead of academic backgrounds.

Perhaps career conferences can be conducted in more types of educational institutions, better facilitating the transmission of information between companies and potential employees.

This would reduce exclusivity and discrimination, and reduce the average time spent by private-school graduates on looking for a job.

Ang Zi Tang (Miss)