CareerBuilder's Annual Forecast Predicts More Jobs for College Grads

  

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Employers Plan to Hire More Recent College Graduates in 2011, Finds CareerBuilder’s Annual Forecast

 

Hiring Managers Also Report Higher Salaries for New Grads

CHICAGO, April 27, 2011 – CareerBuilder’s annual college job forecast finds that employers are gradually hiring more recent college graduates this year. Forty-six percent of employers said they plan to hire recent college graduates in 2011, up from 44 percent in 2010 and 43 percent in 2009. Of those who plan to hire recent college graduates, 26 percent reported they will offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2010, an improvement from 16 percent who said the same in last year’s survey and 11 percent in 2009. The survey was conducted online from February 21 to March 10, 2011 by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder, among more than 2,800 hiring managers and human resource professionals.

Thirty-one percent of employers plan to offer recent college graduates starting salaries ranging between $30,000 and $40,000. An additional 21 percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000, and 24 percent will offer $50,000 or more. Twenty-four percent will offer less than $30,000.

“Employers are more optimistic overall, and as a result, are looking to bring in entry-level workers to build their workforce for the future,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “Companies are adding jobs in a variety of areas and need fresh, educated talent to fill those roles. Our survey found that they will recruit college grads primarily for IT, customer service, sales, finance, accounting and marketing jobs this year.”

In addition to specific areas that employers will be recruiting college graduates for, they shared the overall skill sets they are looking for from new grads, including:

 

• Strong written and verbal communications – 69 percent


• Technical skills – 57 percent


• Project management – 44 percent


• Research – 30 percent


• Math – 31 percent


• Knowledge of using mobile applications and technologies – 21 percent


• Public speaking – 20 percent


• Basic accounting skills – 21 percent


• Adept at using social media – 16 percent


• Bilingual – 15 percent

The survey also revealed that while work experience is one of the most influential factors in their decision to hire recent college graduates, employers reported that other activities qualify as relevant experience:

 

• Internships – 68 percent


• Part-time jobs in another area or field – 51 percent

Volunteer work – 41 percent

• Class work – 34 percent


• Involvement in school organizations – 33 percent


• Involvement in managing activities for sororities and fraternities – 20 percent


• Participation in sports – 12 percent

When new college graduates are applying and interviewing for jobs, they should be mindful of their overall demeanor and behavior. When asked to identify the biggest mistakes that recent college graduates made during the application and interview process, employers said coming to the interview with no knowledge of the company (58 percent), acting entitled (54 percent), dressing inappropriately (52 percent), not asking good questions during the interview (50 percent), not turning off their cell phone before the interview (44 percent) and acting bored (42 percent).

Rasmussen offers the following tips for recent college graduates searching for jobs:

Do your homework: Just like you did for classes in college, it’s important to be knowledgeable about the company before applying and interviewing. Spend time researching organizations ahead of time by checking out their web sites, press room and other articles that might be written about them. Coming to the interview prepared is a great way to impress a hiring manager.

Stay upbeat: Even though the job market is gradually improving, it is still a highly competitive job environment, and your job search may take longer than expected. Stay positive and make sure you show that enthusiasm during your search. Check out a variety of opportunities on CareerRookie.com.

Show your personality: While it’s essential to always remain professional and on your toes, be sure to show your individuality. Craft your cover letter to highlight your personality and relax enough in the interview to show some of your best traits. Hiring managers want employees who are a good fit with company culture, and showcasing your personality is a great way to demonstrate how you will fit in with an organization.

Think outside your career box: Consider taking a job outside of your desired field if it will help you gain experience and learn new skills. Plus, you may discover that what you originally planned wasn’t as good of a fit as a different path.

Utilize social media: Use your social media skill set to help supplement your job search. Promote your personal brand, skills and strengths on different social networking sites like Facebook, so you can reach the widest and most diverse audience of networking contacts and potential employers. Showcase your social media profiles on your resume, cover letter and other communications for continuity.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,878 U.S. Hiring Managers and HR professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; non government) ages 18 and over between February 21 and March 10, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 2,878 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.83 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 22 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 40 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world’s top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to recruitment support. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder’s proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com

Fed Reports U.S. Job Creation Continues to Expand

  

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From: AmericaStaffing.net

The Federal Reserve's latest report on regional economies (known as the "beige book") indicates that business conditions in the U.S. showed general improvement in late February and March. The manufacturing sector continued to lead economic gains across the 12 Federal Reserve districts, and business service activity was varied across the nation. Most districts reported improvements in labor market conditions. Many business contacts indicated they continued to prefer hiring temporary employees to meet increased demand due to persisting uncertainty about long-term economic conditions.

New York  The economy of the second district "strengthened further" since the last report. Retail sales were described as "robust," and consumer confidence and tourism activity were mixed but generally stable. Labor market conditions showed moderate improvement, with increased hiring activity noted in several industries. A large New York City staffing firm noted a significant increase in hiring during March. Other highlights included job growth in financial and legal services, public relations, real estate, and manufacturing.

Philadelphia  Area contacts reported an overall improvement in business activity during March. Increases in year-over-year sales were cited by manufacturing and service sector firms; commercial and residential real estate activity remained slow but had improved. Staffing industry contacts operating in the district reported growth in demand for workers but indicated that firms were delaying temporary and permanent hiring "until the need for more workers becomes pressing."

Cleveland  Most business contacts indicated a continued modest expansion in the region's economy. Manufacturing firms noted some improvement in new orders and production, and retailers and automotive dealers reported positive trends, but residential and commercial real estate markets remained sluggish. District staffing firm representatives noted some growth in several sectors, including health care, professional services, and energy. Despite some increased hiring activity, little upward wage pressure was reported.

Richmond  Economic activity continued to "generally improve" across the district. Manufacturers reported steady demand for orders. Nonretail service industries reported widespread revenue growth. Retail sales remained somewhat weak. "Several employment agencies reported somewhat stronger demand for temporary help in recent weeks, particularly in automotive and other manufacturing sectors." Although many area recruiters anticipate a higher demand for workers over the next six months, many expressed concern regarding the lack of available skilled applicants.

Atlanta  Business contacts described area economic conditions as "advancing modestly from mid-February through March." Manufacturing, retail, and tourism-related business activity increased, but real estate and construction contacts described demand for their services as "soft and flat." Labor markets across the region continued to recover at a gradual pace. "Business contacts indicated that their hiring plans for the year are to leave employment levels unchanged or to increase them slightly."

Chicago  Reports indicate that economic activity continued to increase since the last beige book report. Hiring in the district increased, with businesses adding more temporary and permanent employees to their payrolls. "A large staffing firm reported solid growth in billable hours and a substantial increase in permanent placement and recruiting activity." Additionally, an area recruiting firm noted that "small businesses' hiring plans are beginning to show signs of improving."

St. Louis  The economy of the district continued to expand at a "modest pace." Increased activity in both the manufacturing and services sectors were cited. Residential and commercial real estate markets and related construction continued to lag throughout the district. Business contacts operating casinos, electronic wholesale firms, transportation equipment wholesale firms, and firms in health care industries indicated plans to expand operations and add workers.

Minneapolis  Reports indicate that the district's economy continued its moderate recovery. Increased activity was reported in consumer spending, tourism, commercial construction and real estate, manufacturing, energy and mining, and agriculture. Labor markets in the district showed continued signs of strengthening. "According to a survey by an employment services firm, 13% of respondents in Minneapolis–St. Paul expect to increase staffing levels during the second quarter, while 6% expect to decrease staff."

Kansas City  Area firms described the continued economic expansion in the region as "solid" during late February and through March. A surge in factory production and higher manufacturing orders were reported, as well as an uptick in consumer spending and tourism activity. Despite tight labor markets and the limited availability of skilled workers, area firms did not express plans to raise wages in order to attract new workers.

Dallas  The economy of the district grew at a moderate pace over the past six weeks. Activity in the energy sector remained strong, and a pickup in refining activity and demand for petrochemical products was noted. Hiring activity rose compared with the previous reporting period. Area staffing firms cited continued steady demand for their services and "were hiring for their own needs at a stronger pace" to keep up with higher demand for staffing services. Strong demand for new workers was concentrated in the steel, oil, customer service, information technology, accounting, and legal industries.

San Francisco  The economy of the district posted moderate gains since the last report. Increased retail sales and demand for business and consumer services was noted. Manufacturing activity in the district continued to expand, and there was an increased demand for agricultural and natural resource products. Residential and commercial real estate markets remained subdued. Continued high unemployment and limited hiring in the region contained upward wage pressures.

Alexandra Karaer

Employment Experts Predict Continued Growth for the Staffing Industry

  

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Staffing Industry Creates Job Growth in March 2011

  

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Staffing Adds Jobs in March, BLS Says

From: Americanstaffing.net

Data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows seasonally adjusted staffing industry employment added 29,000 new jobs in March, increasing temporary help payrolls by 1.3% from February. Temporary help firms have added approximately 500,000 workers to industry payrolls since August 2009, when BLS seasonally adjusted data on staffing employment began to show growth.

In a year-to-year comparison, temporary help employment is 12.5% higher than March 2010. The job gains in temporary help over the month, along with those in professional and technical services (35,000), led March employment growth in the service sector of the economy.

"We are seeing encouraging signs that the jobs recovery is developing traction," says Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. "The fact that firms are now adding to both their flexible and permanent work forces means that demand for U.S. goods and services is up and that confidence is growing as we head into the second quarter."

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that staffing employment increased 2.4% over February. On a year-to-year basis, there were 13.3% more workers employed in March compared with the same month in 2010. The ASA Staffing Index, which is also not seasonally adjusted and therefore is comparable to the nonadjusted employment figures reported by BLS, indicated a 9% increase in staffing payrolls since March 2010.

BLS also provides employment estimates for search and placement firms, but those are nonseasonal only, and reports lag one month. Friday, BLS reported that search and placement employment in February was up 3.2% from January, totaling 242,200 for the month. In a year-to year comparison, February employment was up 8.8% from the same month in 2010, continuing the trend of year-to-year employment growth in search and placement that began last spring.

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment rose by 216,000 new jobs from February to March. Job gains were mostly concentrated in professional and business services, health care, leisure and hospitality, and mining. The overall unemployment rate of 8.8% was little changed from last month's figure of 8.9%. Since last November, the jobless rate has fallen by one percentage point.

Alexandra Karaer

http://www.americanstaffing.net/statistics/bls.cfm