American employers continue to show interest in hiring college graduates with more than half (55%) planning to hire recent alumni, a positive trend over the past few years, aside from a dip in the first half of 2023. This is according to a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey in which companies also outlined other in-demand demographic segments and industries.
In addition to college graduates, hiring managers say they plan to employ college students (41%), vocational/career tech graduates (37%), high school students (23%) and adults with a disability (21%). Fewer companies plan to hire immigrant workers in 2024 (19%) — lower than the first half of 2023 (23%) and the second half of 2022 (24%).
Some also plan to hire retirees (16%), migrant workers (15%) or justice-involved individuals (13%).
Businesses are also looking to hire employees in many key departments in 2024, most commonly in general labor (28%), customer service (27%), sales (27%) and IT/technology support (26%).
Interest in hiring specifically for IT/technology support has increased since the second half of 2022 (26% in the second half of 2023 vs. 23% in the second half of 2022).
The majority of hiring managers (86%) report their company plans to hire full-time employees, either hourly (61%) or salaried (52%) this year, with interest in this group the highest it’s been since the survey began in 2020.
“There are a lot of jobs out there, but it is much harder to land them than in the previous two years,” said Jake Domer, Senior Vice President of the Specialized Recruiting Group. “Graduates will have to be more deliberate, strategic and work hard — but the opportunities are there.”
The outlook is even better for college grads when looking just at Michigan. ASE’s 2024 Starting Salaries for Co-op Students and Recent College Graduates Survey revealed that slightly more than seven of ten respondents (72%) say their company has hired in the past year, or plans to hire in 2024, a recent college graduate, similar to what was reported in 2022 (73%).
By Heather Nezich, courtesy of SBAM-approved partner, ASE. Sources: Express Employment Professionals; ASE 2024 Starting Salaries for Co-op Students and Recent College Graduates Survey
Click here for more News & Resources.