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Job outlook bright for 2013 college graduates

Posted on April 29th, 2013 Read time: 1 minutes

HR administrators planning on increasing staff on payroll may employ more recent college graduates, according to a new survey by CareerBuilder.com and CareerRookie.com.

Of the more than 2,000 recruiters polled, 65 percent reported they hope to hire from the 2013 class. The survey found 24 percent said they would rather bring in recent graduates from prestigious universities than from less-known schools. Starting salaries are also set to increase, with 27 percent of respondents projecting to offer higher beginning wages compared to last year and more than half estimate starting salaries will range between $30,000 and $49,999.

The industries estimating to hire the most 2013 college graduates are IT, customer service, finance/accounting and sales. About 37 percent of recruiters said they were starting the recruitment process before graduation for those in finance and IT. 

The recession hit the past few graduating classes hard, with high unemployment rates among the younger workforce due to the increase in more experienced employees losing their jobs. As the economy returns to pre-recession norms, future college graduates may see increased starting salaries and opportunities to begin their careers straight after earning their degree.

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