Entry Level Hiring Up 8.5% in 2017

Staff Report

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

2017 is turning out to be a great year to graduate from college with the best entry-level job market on record.  Hiring of new college grads in 2017 is now running at a record pace.  Reflecting the robust economy and the need for highly skilled talent, employers are increasing their entry level hiring by 8.5% in 2017.

CollegeGrad.com, the #1 Entry Level Job Site, surveyed more than 400 of the top entry level employers across the US.  The planned hiring for 2017 is the highest since the survey began more than 15 years ago.

"We have reached the highest level of entry level hiring in this millennium," said Brian Krueger, CEO of CollegeGrad.com.  "The increases in hiring are well above the record number of hires set last year.  We have seen quite a few employers that are literally doubling their entry level hiring in 2017."

The Top Entry Level Employers list, released today, represents more than 135,000 entry level jobs for the Class of 2017 and is available online at CollegeGrad.com/topemployers.  It details the 2017 entry level hiring plans for more than 400 employers and includes links to entry level and internship job postings for each employer.

"Entry level hiring tends to be highly cyclical with the economy," said Krueger.  "When the economy is up, entry level hiring is way up, as it has been for the past three years.  Keep in mind that the supply of new college graduates is relatively constant, so this is an increase in demand without a corresponding increase in supply.  It's a job seeker's job market."

While the Top Entry Level Employers list includes many brand name companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Dell, Vanguard, Amazon, Staples and Capital One, it also includes lesser known employers that are actively hiring at the entry level.  Many of these employers are hiring hundreds or even thousands of new college grads.  "If a college student is looking for the definitive list of who is hiring, this is the list that will jump start looking for a job," said Krueger.

Krueger reminds college students that although the 2017 entry level job outlook is highly favorable, the time to act is now.  "Many of these entry level jobs have already been filled.  Don't wait until graduation to start your job search.  CollegeGrad.com is the best place to find your entry level job or internship online."