Survey: New grads can expect modest rise in hiring

Posted: Thu 4:24 AM, Nov 15, 2012

(AP) - Prospects for new college graduates looking for work, especially those with associate degrees, are expected to increase next year, but not so for people with MBA degrees.

A new annual survey from Michigan State University's College Employment Research Institute finds employers expect a 5 percent increase in hiring of new 4-year college graduates next year. Demands for associate degree holders from two year schools could rise sharply, by about 30 percent. Hiring of MBAs is expected to decline.

The 42nd annual survey paints a mixed picture reflecting an improving economy but also uncertainty over whether Congress and the White House will carry the country off the fiscal cliff in January, potentially sending the economy back into recession.

Survey director Phil Gardner attributes the results to the political situation as well as weakness in sectors like defense.

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