Dive Brief:
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In a recent survey, 65% of employers say they plan to hire recent college graduates this year, up from 57% last year and the highest outlook since 2007.
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One third will offer higher pay than last year, and 1 in 4 will pay $50,000 or more.
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On the flip side, some employers are concerned that new college grads may not be ready for the real world. 21% do not feel academic institutions are adequately preparing students for roles needed within their organizations.
Dive Insight:
The national survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from February 11 to March 6, 2015, queried 2,175 hiring managers and HR professionals across industries and company sizes.
"New college graduates have better prospects this year than in years' past – both in terms of opportunities and salary offers," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer of CareerBuilder. "They still face challenges, however. Job seekers with a good mix of both technical and soft skills will have the best prospects right out of college."
The most in-demand college majors are business and technical, with 38 percent of employers naming business as the most sought-after major. Other in-demand majors include computer and Information Sciences (27%), engineering (18%), math and statistics (14%) and health professions and related clinical sciences (14 percent).
