College Hiring Expected to Rise 16 Percent for Class of 2008

BETHLEHEM, PA–Early indications suggest the college Class of 2008 will enjoy a strong job market, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Employers responding to NACE’s Job Outlook 2008 Fall Preview survey said they plan to hire 16 percent more new college graduates in 2007-08 than they hired in 2006-07.
“The job market for new college graduates has been gathering strength over the last several years, and this year we’re seeing that trend continue,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

In fact, this is the fifth straight year in which employers have projected double-digit increases in college hiring. Service-sector employers have the most aggressive hiring plans and expect to increase their college hires by nearly 18 percent over 2006-07. Manufacturers anticipate an increase of nearly 15 percent in college hires.
Overall, nearly 58 percent of the employers responding to NACE’s survey reported plans to increase their college hiring; more than one-third (36.5 percent) said they’ll maintain their college hiring at 2006-07 levels. Less than 6 percent expect to trim their college hiring.
Fueling the increase: company growth coupled with retirements.
“We also heard from a number of employers that they are looking to hire more new college graduates to feed their ‘talent pipeline,’ ” says Mackes. “Employers are looking at new grads as their future leaders and want to groom them for those roles.”
NACE monitors the job market for new college graduates throughout the academic year via a series of surveys and reports and expects to release updates on the job market for the Class of 2008 in November.
About the Job Outlook 2008 Fall Preview survey: NACE surveyed 1,164 of its employer members from July 24, 2007, through August 14, 2007. Two hundred and three (203), or 17.4 percent, responded.
By employer type, 48.8 percent of responding employers are service-sector employers, 43.3 percent represent manufacturing organizations, and 7.9 percent are from the government/nonprofit sector.
By region, 33 percent are from the South, 26.6 percent are from the Midwest, 23.2 percent are from the Northeast, and 17.2 percent are from the West.
(Please note: Some totals in this release may not equal 100 due to rounding.)
Article courtesy NACE. About NACE: Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the college job market. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media. NACE is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.