On Campuses And Beyond, The Job Market For New Graduates Looks Up

“Campuses’ career counselors have been seeing encouraging signs, and now a major survey of employers backs them up: The coming year looks to be a much better one for new college graduates seeking jobs,” The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.

“Job openings for those graduates are projected to grow by double digits in 2014-15, following several years of smaller increases, according to key findings from the survey, which was released on Tuesday. Hiring of new bachelor’s-degree recipients will increase by 16 percent, the survey projects; hiring among all degree levels will grow at the same rate.

‘This demand has been pent up for over a decade now,’ said Philip D. Gardner, director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University, which released the findings, based on responses from nearly 5,700 employers.

Why the brighter outlook? The economy is improving, employers are looking ahead, and retirements are starting to trickle out, Mr. Gardner said. In addition, ‘some of these companies are simply growing.’

The big question now, Mr. Gardner said, is whether the job market will sustain that rate of growth in the coming years.”