2012 College Grads Face better Job Outlook
By: Carolyn Donaldson
Updated: April 3, 2012
Soon-to-be college grads are on the homestretch.
With Graduation day right around the corner, their focus will soon shift from finals to jobs.
And while the job market is still rough, there is some encouraging news for the class of 2012.
This year's college graduates can expect more job postings and higher salaries, but the competition is fierce.
New data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that the average starting salary for the class of 2012 is $42,569 a year.
That's up 4-1/2-percent from last year.
But there's also higher demand keeping those salaries afloat.
For every entry level job opening, employers surveyed received 33-applications. That's up from just 21 last year.
So what majors are in the best position to land a good job?
The NACE says engineering is number one -- attracting the highest demand from employers and a starting salary of around $58,000.
Business and accounting majors are also in high demand.
And employers are looking for people with degrees in computer science and economics.
These are also the fields with the highest-paying jobs -- all with median salaries above $40-thousand dollars a year.
But don't be discouraged if you didn't major in one of those fields -- even lower-paying majors like education are seeing higher salaries from last year.
Also on your side -- the unemployment rate for americans ages 25-and older with a college degree is just 4.2%.
If you include everyone... The unemployment rate is almost double that.
With Graduation day right around the corner, their focus will soon shift from finals to jobs.
And while the job market is still rough, there is some encouraging news for the class of 2012.
This year's college graduates can expect more job postings and higher salaries, but the competition is fierce.
New data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that the average starting salary for the class of 2012 is $42,569 a year.
That's up 4-1/2-percent from last year.
But there's also higher demand keeping those salaries afloat.
For every entry level job opening, employers surveyed received 33-applications. That's up from just 21 last year.
So what majors are in the best position to land a good job?
The NACE says engineering is number one -- attracting the highest demand from employers and a starting salary of around $58,000.
Business and accounting majors are also in high demand.
And employers are looking for people with degrees in computer science and economics.
These are also the fields with the highest-paying jobs -- all with median salaries above $40-thousand dollars a year.
But don't be discouraged if you didn't major in one of those fields -- even lower-paying majors like education are seeing higher salaries from last year.
Also on your side -- the unemployment rate for americans ages 25-and older with a college degree is just 4.2%.
If you include everyone... The unemployment rate is almost double that.
