Some students graduating from college this year may end up feeling as if they are too late to the job market. Employers plan to hire nearly 22 percent fewer students from this year’s graduating class than they did in 2008, according to a survey released on Wednesday by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
The prediction ends a five-year run of good — or at least steady — news for job-seeking graduates. The results are based on the hiring expectations of employers, more than half of whom reported changing their plans in the last several months.
The plunge in planned hiring is countrywide, but especially deep in the Northeast (38.9 percent decrease) and in the West (31.9 percent decrease). The association also reports an “unparalleled level of uncertainty” about hiring plans. —Steven Bushong
