The nation’s college graduates get one shot at their dream job. That’s it. And this year, they might not even get that.
Big companies have long preferred to hire and train newly minted college grads right out of school. About 70 percent of open jobs went to new college grads in 2018, and once hired, they stay: one in four Japanese workers has been in his job for more than 20 years. In the United States, only one in 10 employees has that kind of tenure.
Now, with companies cutting back on hiring plans for 2021, soon-to-be college graduates worry they’re missing their chance. There are 122,000 fewer openings anticipated this year compared to last, bringing the jobs-per-applicant ratio to its lowest since 2014.