The Class of 2017 will graduate into one of the rosiest job markets in recent memory. But that doesn’t mean they can expect the job offers to pour in.
Three-quarters of employers plan to hire recent college grads this year, up from 67 percent last year, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder. That’s the best outlook the site has seen since 2007.
CareerBuilder polled 2,380 hiring managers and HR professionals during mid-February to early March, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.01 percentage points.
“In the current environment, where job unemployment continues to decrease and there’s continued competition for sought-after skills, employers are especially attracted to college graduates, and the fresh perspective and skills they can bring to the workforce,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder, in the announcement.
It’s not the only upbeat forecast: 86 percent of employers described the job market for new grads in their sector as good to excellent, according to a survey from Michigan State University’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute. Entry-level job site CollegeGrad.com estimates hiring will be up 8.5 percent — a 15-year high.
But not all grads will find their skill-set in demand. Based on CareerBuilder’s survey, these are the most-sought-after majors, based on the percentage of employers looking to hire:
30 percent
26 percent
23 percent
16 percent
13 percent
11 percent
11 percent
10 percent
9 percent
8 percent
7 percent
7 percent
6 percent
6 percent
5 percent
5 percent