The pie charts compare the proportions of Australian secondary school graduates who were unemployed, employed, or continued their education in three different years over a 30-year period.
It is clear that the employment rate showed an upward trend, while the percentage of students pursuing further education declined throughout the period. In addition, unemployment represented the smallest proportion in each year, and the proportion of employed students was by far the highest.
In 1980, 50% of the graduated students pursued academic studies. This figure fell by 12% in 1990 compared with the initial year and accounted for 37% in the final year. Meanwhile, the employment rate rose steadily over the 30-year period, from 40% at the beginning to 50% in 1990, and eventually reached 55% in the final year, making it the largest category.
It is noticeable that unemployment witnessed a fluctuation over the three years. The proportion of unemployed graduates started at 10%, then rose to a peak of 12% in the following year, before declining to just 8% in 2000.