Employers, in a rush to replace baby boomers that are set to retire, have decided to increase their ranks of employees from newly minted college graduates. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers survey released last month, employers expect to hire 8 percent more new college graduates this year than they did last year.
That contradicts the trend in the overall job market, with rising unemployment and a decline in the creation of new jobs, said Edwin Koc, director of strategic and foundation research for the association.
"A lot of companies are planning for retirements in the near future and trying to put people in the pipeline," Koc said. "They continue to hire even in a difficult economic climate simply to maintain a level of experience that will be there once these individuals retire."
But the tough economic times have hit new graduates, too. Last fall, employers projected that they would increase hiring of new graduates by 16 percent, not the 8 percent now predicted.
Still, many career placement offices are seeing interest from prospective employers.
Employers may have learned from past recessions when they cut back on new graduate hires and found that they lacked talent five years later, said Richard L. White, Rutgers University director of career services.
Employers in the service sector, social services agencies, nonprofit organizations, government agencies such as the FBI, and companies such as Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods and Walgreen Co. are still hiring.
Graduates in demand include accountants, and students with technical degrees, such as computer sciences and software.
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