Dive Brief:

• Last year was the highest level of entry-level hiring on record, according to CollegeGrad.com. And while total 2018 hiring estimates are down slightly, many employers will hire more entry level hires than in 2017, the site determined through its annual hiring survey.
• Hiring hasn't caught up to stock market gaines, the site said — an indicator that employers are being cautious in revising the year's hiring projections. Of the survey's participants, Enterprise Rent-a-Car plans to do the most entry-level hiring.
• Despite the positive entry-level hiring outlook, competition is still tight for college seniors, CollegeGrad.com notes, as many positions for the class of 2018 have already been filled.

Dive Insight:

With employers taking a cautious approach to hiring in general, it seems that entry-level positions haven't been as affected as others. By some accounts, employers are looking closer at new graduates to fill positions they once hired more seasoned workers to fill due to the labor shortage.

Some employers also are planning for the future by prioritizing soft skills over credentials and experience. 

“Employers need to appreciate that a profound change is happening right now in the types of work, and underlying skills that are needed in the new 'second machine age,'" Ben Pring, vice president and director of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work and co-author of What to Do When Machines Do Everything, previously told HR Dive. As technology evolves faster than formal education can keep up, entry-level employees with the ability to learn and adapt may continue to see strong hiring numbers.