Saleh ordered the government to exempt students from the remaining tuition fees of the paid seats at state universities in the academic year (2010-2011) and assigned the universities supreme council to review the tuition for the paid seats to in the universities to ensure easing burdens on students and equality of opportunities among them and achieving the public interest, Saba News Agency reported.

Last year, reports warned that half of Yemeni graduates were unemployed. The report, prepared by high-ranking government body the Supreme Education Planning Council, estimated the unemployment ratio among graduates at 52 percent.

The president also ordered the government to establish a special fund for university graduates to create jobs for 25 percent of the graduates this year and remaining in the following years.

In a televised speech almost a week ago, Saleh said that he will increase salaries for the armed forces and government employees.

Nabiel Shamsan, deputy minister of civil service and insurance, said that his ministry had ended the preparation process of the implementation of the phase III of national strategy for salaries and wages. He told a local newspaper that the new strategy will cost $400 million and 1,300,000 government employees will benefit from it. Low-paid employees will get 25 percent increase in their salaries.