New college graduates will enter best job market in years

Expect to see a lot of happy and relieved college students this spring. Their parents will probably be breathing a sigh of relief as well.

The job market for new graduates is predicted to be the best it’s been in years. “The class of 2022 is expecting hiring increases of 26.6%,” said Wendy Murphy, associate dean for undergraduate programs at Babson College in Wellesley.

“I’ll be doing investment banking with Deutsche Bank in New York for the leveraged finance group,” said Babson senior Tyson Corner

Jaila Taylor, another senior, said she’ll be entering Amazon’s retail undergraduate program. “It was very, very, very quick!”

“In my friend group, everybody’s got at least one offer,” added Corner.

“It’s been incredible,” explained Murphy. “Employers are really looking to fill those gaps that they let happen during the pandemic when there was so much uncertainty.”

More than 10 million job openings across the country are currently unfilled. That works out to just less than two for each unemployed person.

Although nursing and health care fields lead the pack, Robert Half senior district president Bill Driscoll said openings for new graduates across a wide spectrum.

“In the technology area, you’re looking for tons of help desk opportunities, data analysts, business analysts, all levels of accounting are very much in demand right now, digital marketing, creative positions,” listed Driscoll.

Murphy says as students get multiple offers, they’re able to think about other factors besides salary, like social justice and climate change.

“The other thing that students really want is an organization that aligns with their personal values, and so there are a lot who put more thought into where I go matches who I want to be,” explained Murphy.

Both Taylor and Corner say they worried about their future early in the pandemic when their school sent them home and internships dried up.

All that’s changed as the economy roared back to life. “I noticed pay was going up and more jobs were being created so I wasn’t that worried after about the first quarter of the pandemic,” Corner said.

Despite all the uncertainty in the world, with things like the invasion of Ukraine, supply chain problems, and the possibility of another coronavirus surge, Murphy is confident this job momentum will stay on track. She says companies are so far behind in replenishing their staff from the Great Resignation that she thinks any slowdown in hiring is highly unlikely.

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