Employment rates up slightly for graduates this year 12-06

Employment rates up slightly for graduates this year

The 2012 Career Plans Survey Report revealed that 64 percent of graduates obtained full-time employment, compared to 62 percent for 2011 graduates

ByI S KAYUEN LOH · December 4, 2012, 10:23 pm

The number of Class of 2012 graduates with full-time employment saw a slight increase from the Class of 2011 graduates.

Preliminary results from the Career Services Class of 2012 Career Plans Survey Report revealed that 64 percent of graduates obtained full-time employment, a slight increase from 62 percent full-time employment for 2011 graduates. About 1,956 graduates responded to the survey.

The Wharton School recorded the highest percentage of 2012 graduates who obtained full-time employment among the three schools. Of Wharton graduates, 84.6 percent obtained full-time employment, compared to 67.8 percent of Engineering graduates and 57 percent of College graduates.

“We are very pleased with these results,” Director of Career Services Patricia Rose said.

The average starting salary for the graduates was up “very modestly,” according to Rose. The average starting salary increased from $57,944.48 for the 2011 graduates to $58,180.56 in 2012.

While slightly fewer students went directly to graduate school, only 6 percent were still seeking employment. Students who went to graduate school decreased from 20 percent of 2011 graduates to 18 percent of 2012 graduates.

Several statistics remained similar to those from previous years.

More than half of the employed 2012 graduates — 54 percent — found the job they accepted through Career Services or On-Campus Recruiting. This was exactly the same percentage as for the 2011 graduates.

Top employers and graduate schools were also very similar year to year, according to Career Services.

From school to school, there were clear preferences in job fields.

The top two fields Wharton 2012 graduates entered were investment banking and consulting. The two job functions made up 49.1 percent of 546 Wharton graduates surveyed. This was a slight decrease from the 51.7 percent in 2011 who went into these fields.

College 2012 graduates also saw a high proportion of students entering the financial services and consulting fields, at 19 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Education was the next highest field of employment at 15 percent.

2012 Engineering graduates saw the highest percentage of jobs in information technology at 28 percent, followed by finance at 21 percent.

Final surveys for the School of Nursing have yet to be released.

View at the original source