Graduate Job Outlook 2007
What does the job market look like for the Class of '07?
Not too bad: Companies expect to hire 17 percent more employees from the class of ’07 than from that of ’06, according to a national collegiate-employer association. That's good news for the more than 64,000 students of Missouri institutions of higher learning who'll be graduating this year.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2007 Fall Preview survey, 52 percent of employers surveyed expect to hire more new college graduates in 2006-07 than in 2005-06.
Hiring by Sector
Service industries project the biggest
increase in college hiring, says the report: an expected 19.8
percent more new college graduates. Manufacturers are also positive
about hiring, predicting a 9.5 percent increase in hiring. And
government/nonprofit employers plan to hire 9 percent more new
college graduates.
Hiring by Region
Employers in the Midwest expect to increase hiring by 10 percent.
That's the lowest of all four regions surveyed.
Employers in the South have the most positive projections, expecting to increase hiring 25.5 percent. Employers in the West expect to increase hiring by 23 percent, and those in the Northeast 16.9 percent.
Increasing Missouri Graduation Rate
Whatever the region, optimistic employer hiring intentions should
come as a relief to the increasing number of graduates in Missouri.
If current trends continue, the total number of post-secondary
graduates in the state will top 65,000 in 2006, according to Department of Higher
Education statistics.
|
TOTAL DEGREES CONFERRED BY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS IN MISSOURI, 1993-2005 |
||
|
YEAR |
TOTAL* |
YR OVER YR % INCREASE |
|
2005 |
64,024 |
3.78 |
|
2004 |
61,692 |
2.59 |
|
2003 |
60,134 |
6.19 |
|
2002 |
56,628 |
4.88 |
|
2001 |
53,994 |
1.33 |
|
2000 |
53,285 |
2.22 |
|
1999 |
52,129 |
1.39 |
|
1998 |
51,415 |
3.43 |
|
1997 |
49,712 |
1.05 |
|
1996 |
49,196 |
0.25 |
|
1995 |
49,073 |
1.99 |
|
1994 |
48,114 |
0.82 |
|
1993 |
47,721 |
N/A |
*Includes postbaccalaureate and postmaster's degrees.
The University of Missouri, Columbia, conferred the most degrees (6,128) among all public institutions in 2005. Among private, not-for-profit institutions, Webster was No. 1 with 6,895. Overall, public institutions conferred a greater number of degrees than did private institutions, 30,084 to 28,440.
Selecting the
Right Occupation
But which is the right
occupation? MERIC
can help! MERIC occupational projections data to 2014 shows retail
sales, healthcare and education are excellent choices.
For more on occupational openings, fastest growth and declining
occupations, highest wages, education and training needed, career
grades and more, see the Occupations page on our website:
http://www.missourieconomy.org/occupations/index.stm
Or, for a list of more than 800 occupations with estimated
wages, employment and growth, go directly to:
http://www.missourieconomy.org/xls/occproj_2014.xls
Sources: National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2007 Fall Preview, The Statistical Summary of Missouri Higher Education 2005-2006, MERIC occupational projections data.
