Job prospects are improving for college graduates, experts say, as graduating seniors can look forward to the most promising employment market since the 2008 financial crisis.
Hiring projections collected by the National Association of Colleges and Employers show employers intend to hire an average of 19.3 percent more college graduates this spring — the first double-digit year-over-year increase since 2007.
According to those surveyed by NACE, 41 percent of participating seniors who applied for a job already received an offer, compared to 38 percent in 2010. And, in a survey by online job site CareerBuilder.com, nearly half of all companies are looking to hire recently graduated workers, up three percent from last year.
“It’s exciting. Things are turning around,” said Amanda Devereux, assistant director of employer relations at the University Career Center. “In just the last week, our students have been getting jobs everywhere — PricewaterhouseCoopers, Microsoft, First Investors, even the Department of State.”@@http://twitter.com/#!/UORecruit@@@@http://www.pwc.com/us/en/index.jhtml@@
Every term, Devereux works to bring employers to the University campus through outreach, on-campus recruiting and career fairs, and she’s witnessed firsthand the economy’s effect on job prospects for University graduates.
At the 2008 fall career fair — before the recession hit — 88 employers were in attendance. The following spring, employer participation dropped to 55. Now, two years later, interest has picked up again, with 72 employers present at this year’s career fair.
To Devereux, this upward trend is a sign of a stronger economy and more empowered students.
“It’s getting to that place where students feel that they will have the opportunity to make choices and have a say in their first career,” Devereux said. “It’s really exciting to show students that you can dream and get excited about what’s out there.”
In addition to more job offers, graduates this year are being offered higher starting salaries. The average salary offered to graduates now stands at $50,462 — nearly a six percent jump from last year, according to NACE.
Yet, after several dismal years of recession, many outgoing seniors remain distressed. Outgoing architecture student Marian Peteros began her job search in winter and has been met with little response.@@http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/courses/winter2009/j385-photojournalism/topher-vollmer/portrait/@@
“I’m happy to hear that employers are looking to hire more graduates, but so far I have not seen anything out there,” Peteros said. “Most jobs I’ve found are looking for two to five years of previous experience. I’m excited to work, but I have to admit that after looking for so long I’m starting to become discouraged.”
Despite a more optimistic outlook, NACE reports 24 percent of college graduates will have a job in hand after matriculating, the same percentage as last year. But the company’s executive director, Marilyn Mackes, says it’s an indication that graduates can afford to be more selective.@@http://www.naceweb.org/Press/NACE_Experts.aspx@@

“This year’s graduates are a little more willing to hold out for a different job offer,” Mackes said in a statement. “We’re seeing many more seniors applying for jobs this year, and we’re also seeing more turning down job offers.”
This upturn will not be felt across the board. Although fields such as management, engineering, marketing and sales are booming, those specializing in education, social sciences and journalism will still face fierce competition.
“This is still going to take a lot of work. The jobs won’t come knocking,” Devereux said. “The market is still competitive. The only difference is it’s not so desperate anymore.”