Quantcast
Channel: Economy – Central Valley Business Journal
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 150

New college graduates entering improved job market

$
0
0

CHICAGO — The job prospects for new college graduates are the best they have been in nearly a decade according to a new survey by CareerBuilder.com.

According to the survey, 67 percent of employers say they plan to hire recent college graduates this year, up from 65 percent last year and the highest outlook since 2007. Thirty-seven percent said they planned to offer higher pay than last year and 27 percent said they will offer recent college graduates a starting salary of $50,000.

The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder between Feb. 10 and March 17. It included a representative sample of 2,186 hiring managers and human resource professionals in the private sector across industries and company sizes.

Employers still have concerns about the education their prospective employees are receiving. Forty-seven percent said schools focus too much on book learning instead of real-world learning. Thirty-nine percent said that employees need a blend of technical skills and those skills gained from liberal arts educations; 25 percent said entry level position are more complex than in the past and 13 percent said there is not enough focus on internships.

Among skills that are lacking in recent college grads, 42 percent cited leadership skills as lacking, 39 percent said teamwork, 37 percent found written and oral communications to be lacking. Creative thinking, project management, research and analysis, math and computer and technical skills were also sought after in new grads.

The kind of degree also is a big part of a job seekers hopes of landing a position.  Business, computer and information sciences, engineering, math and statistics and health professions and related clinical sciences were among the most sought after degrees according to the survey.

As for pay, 52 percent of new graduates will make $40,000 or less to start. Twenty-five percent will find a starting salary under $30,000.

“In addition to an improving economy, we are beginning to see a rising number of retirements, which is creating more room for advancement and creating opportunities for entry-level candidates,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder in a press release. “But just because there are vacancies doesn’t mean college students are always ready to fill them.”

The post New college graduates entering improved job market appeared first on Central Valley Business Journal.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 150