Grads Wondering Where Jobs Went

Go to School, Get a Job ... Maybe: College graduates aren’t leaving school with the usual rosy outlook that they will make a difference in the world. In fact, nearly 75 percent of U.S. college graduates see a bleak job market this year stemming from an uncertain economy, finds a new study by Accenture. Most graduates (73 percent) say they remain without a post-graduation jobs, a particularly difficult problem for the roughly two-thirds who are carrying student loans. In the meantime, nearly one in three graduates acknowledge they will live with Mom and Dad until they can get their feet on independent ground.

Even so, the new workers aren’t slacking off on their demands for rewarding salaries and benefits, cited by about 85 percent of respondents. They also want interesting jobs that engage their skills—a priority for nearly 70 percent—while slightly more than half desire supervisors who will serve as coaches or mentors. Nearly half of the graduates (46 percent) expect to work less than 40 hours a week, with 37 percent openly concerned their new employers will attempt to overwork them. The sobering portrait painted by soon-to-be graduates is in contrast to widespread belief of a looming worker shortage.