Got Work? Less Than One in Five U.S. College Graduates Looking for Work Found It
JOHN BERMAN, ABC News: Casey Savage graduated from Trinity College in Hartford with a 3.8 grade-point average and honors. What he doesn’t have is a job. “I’ve talked to 24 different firms so far. Hedge funds, investment banks, private equity shops,” Savage said. “And I just feel that there’s limited opportunities at this point.”
It’s a familiar refrain being echoed at colleges and universities across the country, as the economy continues to slump and layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts dominate the employment landscape. The struggling economy means college seniors are facing one of the toughest job markets in years.
According to a survey from National Association of Colleges and Employers, the class of 2009 is leaving campus with fewer jobs in hand than their 2008 counterparts. The group’s 2009 Student Survey found that just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one.
In comparison, 51 percent of those graduating in 2007 and 26 percent of those graduating in 2008 who had applied for a job had one in hand by the time of graduation.
