MBA Jobs Boost for Future Graduates, Despite Economic Woes

Companies appear to be placing a great deal of belief in fresh MBA graduates, two influential pieces of research have found. This is despite global fears of a second period of recession, and the inevitable decline in availability of jobs around the world.

Both QS’ TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary Trends Report and the Graduate Management Admission Council’s (GMAC) Corporate Recruiters Survey quiz MBA employers and recruiters around the world on their future hiring plans for MBA graduates. This year, both report very similar results, that the global jobs market for MBA graduates is set to increase dramatically.

In QS’ report, which surveyed 12,100 companies around the world on their current MBA hiring and future intentions found a 36% increase in demand for fresh MBA graduates in 2011, compared to 2010.

GMAC, who administer the GMAT business school admissions test, surveyed 905 companies, and found that 67% of them planned to hire MBA graduates by the end of 2011. This compares to 62% in 2010, and just 50% during the recessionary period of 2009.

“The number one barrier to hiring in 2007 had been the competition among organizations for job candidates,” GMAC states in its report. “The global recession had such an impact that the lack of job openings was the number one barrier to hiring in 2009 and 2010. This reality had a negative impact on the number of schools that campus recruiters visited as well as the number of job offers extended to business school graduates.

“This year’s findings suggest that companies are moving past those barriers and are once again actively building their pool of potential new hires.”

MBA jobs surge in Latin America and Asia

However, it would be naïve to think that the ongoing economic events of the past few years have not had an effect on the international MBA job market.

In fact, current and predicted future MBA hiring is most evident outside of the traditional MBA employing hubs of Europe and North America, which were hardest hit by a turbulent global economy. Instead, the most opportunities for MBA graduates can be found in the emerging economies of Asia and Latin America.

“Based on our survey completed in June, 2011 is proving to be a good year for MBA recruitment with employers around the world stocking up with new recruits after a three year lull, and the good times look set to continue,” explains Nunzio Quacquarelli, managing director of education specialists QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited, and author of QS’ report.

“Latin America and Asia lead the surge in demand for MBAs around the world in 2011. What’s new this year is a surge in MBA hiring being experienced in Latin America, with the multinational companies planning for future growth by stocking up with talent, especially in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Chile.”

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