With the island mired in its worst recession since statehood in 1965, graduates are joining the workforce with salaries as low as $1100 dollars a month.

Graduates with general degrees appeared to be the worst hit with salaries ranging between $1400 and $1800, compared with $1800 to $2200 dollars a year ago.

The Nanyang Technological University, one of three universities in Singapore, said 30 to 40 percent of its 2001 graduates are still looking for jobs.

Last year, about 85 percent of its graduates found jobs within three months of completing their final examinations.

Vicki Ng, a 25-year-old graduate from the Singapore Institute of Management, said she has not found a permanent job despite sending out more than 50 applications since July and the fact she is willing to take a pay cut.

"But even when we are prepared to accept between $1200 and $1400 dollars, the companies still say 'no' to us because they prefer people with experience," said Ng, who is now earning $1200 dollars a month as a temporary administrative assistant.

Figures from the Manpower Ministry showed 16,500 Singaporeans with tertiary education were unemployed in September.

The government has projected unemployment will rise to 4.5 percent at the end of this year, up from 3.8 percent this year.

Gross domestic product is forecast to shrink 3.0 percent this year after growth of 9.9 percent last year. For 2002, GDP is projected at between minus 2.0 percent and plus 2.0 percent.

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