Annual survey finds new grads hopeful about job market

Editor's Note

Despite challenging economic times, many new college graduates say they feel optimistic about finding employment, according to an annual survey report from Monster.

The “2023 State of the Graduate Report” shows that although 74% of respondents feel concerned about economic conditions, 88% are still confident they will receive a job offer soon. This is up from 81% last year.

In the report, Monster CEO, Scott Gutz, says that although new graduates are willing to settle in some areas, their top priorities are salary and work flexibility—62% of graduates say salary is the most important and 73% want a position that offers flexible or hybrid work schedules that allow them to work remotely from anywhere. The biggest challenge for both employers and new graduates will be balancing candidates’ expectations with what employers are able to offer.

A total of 1,000 new and impending college graduates were included in the survey.