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New-grad hiring on the rise

In a rush to replace baby boomers who are set to retire, employers have decided to increase their ranks of employees from newly minted college graduates.

Employers expect to hire 8 percent more new college graduates this year than they did last year, according to a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey released in March.

That contradicts the trend in the overall job market, with rising unemployment and a decline in the creation of new jobs, said Edwin Koc, director of strategic and foundation research for the association.

“A lot of companies are planning for retirements in the near future and trying to put people in the pipeline,” Koc said. “They continue to hire even in a difficult economic climate simply to maintain a level of experience that will be there once these individuals retire.”

Employers may have learned from past recessions when they cut back on new graduate hires and found that they lacked talent five years later, said Richard L. White, Rutgers University director of career services.

Graduates in demand include accountants, given the corporate need to meet requirements of auditing and reporting regulations, said William Hill, assistant dean of placement and student employment for Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. Also in demand are students with technical degrees, such as computer sciences and software engineering, he said.