GreenSn0w

SINGAPORE: Fresh graduates joining the Civil Service from 1 June this year will be paid more.

Those with good honours who join the Management Executive Scheme, a scheme for graduates employed across many ministries, can be paid up to $2,800, up from $2,410.

Other graduate schemes will see increases between $230 and $620.

For example, teachers with good honours degrees used to get a starting salary of up to $2,560, but now they will get up to $2,820.

Those with basic degrees in the uniformed services used to get up to $2,260. They will now get up to $2,570.

The starting pay of accountants in the Civil Service has already been increased since 1 May 2007.

Starting salaries were last adjusted in June 2006.

The latest adjustments are part of the annual pay review to make sure that salaries keep pace with the market, says a statement by the Public Service Division in the Prime Minister's Office.

The Singapore economy has performed well over the past year, with increased hiring and salaries in many sectors.

Since the Civil Service pay hike was announced earlier this year, applications received via the job portal increased by about seven percent, from 1,440 applicants to 1,540 applicants, during the period between March and April.