A good time to graduate

Press-Telegram 1/27/07

Cal State Long Beach's upcoming Class of 2007, which is beginning its final semester Monday, should look toward late spring with early optimism.

Not only will students earn a degree from one of the jewels in the 23-campus California State University, they will enter the best job market for new graduates in about seven years, according to latest projections.

Employers plan to hire 17 percent more workers with new bachelor's degrees than they did in 2006, according to a National Association of Colleges and Employers study reported in the Wall Street Journal.

Though the report did not account for regional differences, nationwide hiring for new grads is at its highest point since 2000-01 and the California economy is stronger than most.

More than half of the employers surveyed planned to hire new graduates, while only 5 percent said they expected a decrease in their recruiting.

Here's the good part: Starting salaries are expected to be up 4.6 percent over those paid in 2006. In-demand fields like accounting, finance, business consulting and engineering are increasingly resurrecting the signing bonuses, a signal that employers are competing for the best new hires.

Nationwide, unemployment is healthy 4.5 percent. For college graduates with some work experience, the unemployment rate is about half of that, another argument to get "that piece of paper," which is proven to lead to far greater employability and lifetime earnings.

So to the Class of 2007: Avoid spring fever, finish your classes and get a good job.