The newest crop of college graduates eager to go to work will find job prospects only slightly better than the dismal pace of a year ago, a workplace specialist says.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas says its newest survey of hiring executives indicates continued weakness in the entry-level job market could force many newly-minted graduates to accept lower-paying service sector positions or forsake income entirely by volunteering or accepting unpaid internships.
Others may abandon the job search, opting to further their education, live at home or travel, the outplacement specialist said.
In the Challenger survey, about half of the human resources executives polled said the outlook for this year’s college graduates is roughly the same as last year. Twenty-eight percent of respondents were marginally more optimistic, saying that the outlook is slightly better than a year ago.
On a positive note, less than 10 percent of respondents felt that the job market for this year’s graduates would be worse than last year. Meanwhile, nearly 13 percent said the job market is “much better” than in 2009.
The survey was conducted among approximately 100 human resources professionals in a wide variety of industries nationwide. The two-week survey concluded the first week of April.
“Last year was an extremely tight job market for entry-level candidates. Even if this year is slightly better, the competition for available jobs will remain fierce. In fact, some of this year’s graduates may very well compete with some of last year’s graduates for positions,” said Chief Executive John A. Challenger.
