Graduates continue to experience strong gains in employment in the three years following completion of their degree. The undergraduate full-time employment rate immediately after graduation was 70.3 per cent in 2020 but rose 21.4 percentage points in the three years following graduation to 91.7 per cent in 2023. For further details, see the 2023 GOS-L National Report and data visualisation above.

The GOS-L is completed by graduates of Australian higher education institutions approximately three years after completion of their studies. The survey is conducted as a cohort study based on graduates who previously completed the GOS. For example, the 2020 GOS-L re-surveys graduates who completed the 2017 GOS. The GOS-L collects information relating to labour force outcomes and further study activities. Employment data collected includes information on salaries, occupation and skills utilisation. The GOS-L has been administered annually since 2016.

Graduates of Australian higher education institutions are in scope for the GOS-L, including at undergraduate, postgraduate coursework and postgraduate research level. Information is collected for both domestic and international graduates, however published results refer to domestic graduates only.