Massive Surge in US Jobs, MSU Study Predicts

According to MSU's CERI report, more than 40% of employers recruiting graduates with MBAs and other advanced degrees will increase their hiring this year. For those hiring MBAs, the biggest increase, 82%, will be seen among very large companies with more than 10,000 employees.  Those with fewer than 100 employees expect a 28% increase.

On average, employers planning to hire MBAs said they plan to make an average of 5.9 new hires each, a year-over-year increase of 38%.  But the new hire rates differ dramatically by industry, with health care leading the way with an 87% increase.  MBA jobs opportunities in information technology are up 44%, followed by professional services at 29% and finance at 25%. Double-digit increases are also predicted for nonprofits (22%), retail (19%), and transportation (16%).

CERI Director at Michigan State University, Philip Gardner said the improving economy--particularly in the finance sector, which bounced back after tanking last year--is driving the growth.

“There’s a lot more confidence in the economy than you’d get from reading the papers,” Gardner says. “MBAs are really wanted when companies are launching strategic initiatives. That’s probably a good sign if we can keep that up.”

The report released this week was a summary of the survey’s key findings. The complete report will be released at the end of November.