Source : http://www.naceweb.org
BETHLEHEM, PA—Employers vying for new
college graduates will face intense competition, according to Job
Outlook 2008, a new report published by the National Association of
Colleges and Employers (NACE).
“Several factors point to a highly competitive year for employers,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.
“For
example, overall, employers expect to increase college hiring in
2007-08 by 16 percent over 2006-07. This is the fifth consecutive year
in which employers have projected double-digit increases. Moreover,
hiring projections are strong across the board—regardless of industry,
economic sector, or geographic region,” she says.
Not
surprisingly, employers taking part in the survey cited competition as
their biggest challenge in hiring 2008 graduates, and expect
competition to be particularly fierce for graduates in the engineering,
computer science, and accounting fields, where supply doesn’t meet
demand.
One sign of that increased demand: “We’re seeing
some significant changes in signing bonuses this year,” Mackes says.
“Not only are more employers planning to offer signing bonuses than was
the case last year, but also the average planned bonus is 25 percent
higher this year than it was last year.”
NACE monitors the job market for new college graduates throughout the academic year via a series of surveys and reports; NACE expects to release another update on the job market for the Class of 2008 in April.
About the Job Outlook 2008 survey: NACE
surveyed 1,199 of its employer members from mid-August through October
5, 2007. Two hundred and seventy-six (276), or 23 percent, responded.
Of
those responding, 48.2 percent were service sector employers, 46.4
percent were manufacturers, and 5.4 percent were government/nonprofit
employers.
By region, 34.8 percent of respondents were
from the South, 26.4 percent were from the Midwest, 21.4 percent were
from the Northeast, and the remaining 17.4 percent were from the West.
About NACE:
Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
has been the leading source of information about the employment of
college graduates. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/press/.