[April 14, 2015]

Fewer - But Better - Job Opportunities Await the Class of 2015 According to Simply Hired Data

Simply Hired, the largest independent job search engine with properties in 24 countries and 12 languages, today released new data that shows a different job landscape awaits the Class of 2015 than greeted last year's graduating classes.

Approximately 5% of all job openings nationwide are currently targeted to college graduates, down from 6% of overall listings at this time last year. The good news: more of these positions are the full-time jobs that students (and parents) covet. Simply Hired's data shows that permanent full-time employment opportunities for new grads have increased more than 20% in 2015 as compared to 2014.

The average salary for these positions is $43,000 a year, compared to an average annual tuition of $31,000 at a private university or $9,000 at a public one. The cities with the most full-time job openings for new grads include Denver, Atlanta and New York City.

"The Class of 2015 is entering a post-recession job market where good opportunities have been growing over the past few years," said James Beriker, President and CEO of Simply Hired. "There are significantly more real entry-level jobs available this year, which we define as full-time permanent employment rather than part-time, contract or internship positions."

Berike continued with more positive news: "In addition, companies tend to post even more jobs targeted to new grads later in the year. In 2014 Simply Hired saw an uptick in July postings with a peak in October, even when adjusted for seasonal and retail hiring. So the number of positions is likely to grow over the months to come."

Shifting Demand for a College Diploma

As college costs continue to rise, Simply Hired's data also indicates that employers' demand for a college degree is changing. The percentage of full-time entry-level jobs that do not require an undergrad degree increased 17% in 2015 as compared to this time last year. This is led by a surge of openings in occupations and industries including electronic equipment installers, tractor/trailer drivers, and manufacturing.

At the same time, a college diploma is increasingly a requirement for office jobs that have not historically demanded an undergraduate degree. According to Simply Hired data, demand for a college degree has actually increased by 5% in roles like non-retail sales reps, customer service agents, receptionists and data entry workers.

"Census Bureau data indicates that approximately two-thirds of Americans don't have a college degree," Beriker commented. "The good news is that opportunities here are growing - and that demand is high for those on the trade or middle-skill path. At the same time, it may be harder to break into corporate America as jobs such as receptionist or data entry clerk increasingly demand a 4-year degree."

About Simply Hired

Simply Hired, a technology company based in Sunnyvale, California, operates job search engines in 24 countries and 12 languages. With more than 30 million unique visitors per month, the company provides job seekers access to millions of job openings across all job categories and industries, reaching job seekers on the web, mobile devices, email, and via thousands of partner sites including The Washington Post, Fox Business, ABC News, Computerworld, and International Nurses Association. Simply Hired enables employers to efficiently and cost-effectively reach candidates searching for jobs through its full-service pay-per-click (PPC) and self-service pay-per-post job advertising solutions. Simply Hired was founded in 2004 and is privately held with funding from Foundation Capital and IDG Ventures. For more information, visit www.simplyhired.com.

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