Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t fool new grads into thinking they’ll have an easy time landing a job after graduation. There is too much bad news bombarding them daily about the job market and the economy. Still, somebody’s getting hired this year, and it could be you; that alone is reason to hope. But if that’s not enough, here are 14 bright spots about the job market to brighten your day and lift your spirits.
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Hiring this year is expected to climb 10.2%:
Although a previous estimate pegged 2012 hiring at 9.5%, the number is now slotted at nearly a full percentage point higher, according to a National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey. In a very positive sign of economic recovery, college career fairs are buzzing with activity. The number of companies attending fairs is regularly being reported as much as 30% higher than two years ago.
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More businesses plan to hire this year:
In addition to the volume of hiring forecast for 2012, more employers across fields said in a recent CareerBuilder.com survey that they planned to hire. Whereas 46% planned to take on additional employees in 2011, 54% said they plan to hire college grads this year.
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Job creation is trending up:
Every month for more than two years, the private sector has seen employment gains. Since February 2010, 4 million jobs have been added to the market. The best hiring opportunities this year are in accounting and finance, STEM fields, sales, education, social services, and health care.
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Starting salaries are going up:
The NACE survey also had good news for new grads’ pocketbooks: the average starting salary for this year’s class is up 6.6% to $44,442. The median salary is also up, by 4.5%. The highest rise is in the education field, where new grads are starting with salaries up by 4.5% on average from 2011.
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Baby boomers retiring is helping the job market:
The number of adult Americans employed or seeking employment fell to its lowest mark since December 1981. Two economists say these drops are part of the exodus of baby boomer workers from the workforce via retirement. The first of the boomers hit 65 in 2011, and the number of them retiring and freeing up employment positions is only going to increase.
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Small business hiring is up:
If you’re not interested in being one of hundreds of employees, there’s good news for you too. A recent Gallup poll found that small businesses’ hiring intentions are at their highest level since 2010. More than a quarter want to hire new workers, which is similar to their preference before the recession.
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Flexible jobs are increasing:
New grads will be faced with a job market with arguably the most flexible jobs in history. The Flexible Index Report conducted by FlexJobs.com found that entry-level jobs that offer options like working from home rose faster than any other job category. Jobs in data entry, customer service, administration, and health care saw the biggest increases.
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Job creation has hit a seven-year record:
More than 100,000 jobs have been added to the market during eight consecutive months, something that hasn’t happened since 2005. If it continues through the end of 2012, it would be the first time more than 100,000 jobs have been added every month of a calendar year in 13 years.
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Jobs in IT are surging:
A recent survey by job search site Dice.com turned up a number of positive findings for IT majors. Sixty-five percent of surveyed IT managers planned to hire more IT employees in the first half of this year than they did in the latter half of 2011, with 37% of those planning to hire up to 20% more workers. And nearly half the respondents foresaw higher wages for entry-level IT workers in 2012.
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Career center workers are seeing more students receive job offers:
We have the anecdotal evidence of counselors at college career centers that things are looking up. Counselors at Northwestern University have noticed more seniors getting job offers, and more students receiving multiple offers. They say the situation is similar at other colleges as well.
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Cities will see job growth:
For college grads looking for a life in the city, the outlook is promising. A forecast made by IHS Global Insight predicts all but three metropolitan areas in the United States will experience job growth. The report also claims the country will have earned back 48% of jobs lost in the recession by the end of 2012.
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The manufacturing sector is on a tear:
In recent months, the manufacturing industry has had its best growth since 2007. It added 13% of new jobs in 2011, despite making up only 9% of jobs in the overall workforce. Many see growth in manufacturing as a good sign, in what one professor calls “factory nostalgia,” although he adds such a feeling is “economically legitimate.”
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Green jobs are thriving:
At 3.1 million, green jobs are an important sector of the market and one that is poised to provide positions to many college grads who need a job but would also like to help the planet with their work. Solar power companies, bio-fuel companies, and others in the environmentally friendly business have demonstrated they will continue to ramp up hiring in the future, both near- and long-term.
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Business optimism is up:
Although companies’ outlook on the economy has been pretty dismal (and rightly so) in recent years, the attitude is getting better. Sixty-six percent of executives polled by the research firm Corporate Executive Board responded that they expect their companies to increase revenues this year, as opposed to just 57% last year. And increased revenue means increased ability to take on new talent like you.
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