Posted April 7th, 2008 by cheesman

With the state of the economy, many soon to be graduates are concerned about their chances of landing entry-level jobs and with good reason. A survey of college students, recent graduates, and entry-level employers conducted by MonsterTrak found that 59 percent of employers expect to hire 2008 graduates during the spring or summer of this year. This figure is down by 17 percent from 2007’s statistics, which shows that the all the talk about a possible national recession is effecting hiring decisions. 
   
Approximately 29 percent of those surveyed  still say that they are unsure as to hiring plans. The level of indecision among employers as to entry level job creation has almost doubled since 2007. Although many businesses are not certain about how many entry level jobs they plan to create, 85 percent of employers that do plan on hiring this year are expecting to create as many, if not more, positions than in 2007.
   
The good news is that one-third of those surveyed are planning on increasing the salaries of entry-level employees by 1 to 5 percent this year. The increase in pay check size will help the companies doing this attract the best talent from the pool of recent graduates. Those who have used their time in college wisely, participating in highly esteemed internship programs and the like, will most likely have an easier time locating job listings. These individuals also stand an higher chance of receiving a larger pay check.
   
Almost half of the soon-to-be graduates who participated in the survey reported that they plan to move back home after receiving their diplomas. Last year only 22 percent anticipated living at home for more than six months. According to MonsterTrak’s survey, 43 percent of those who did return home have remained there. Limited financial resources was cited as the number one reason for this.
   
The  results for MonsterTrack’s 2008 Entry Level job Outlook survey were reached by polling 1,117 employers and 3,603 students and alumni.