Economy keeps graduates 'underemployed,' struggling
Class of 2009 settles for low-paying jobs
Katie Rose McEneely
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: News
"I'm applying for teaching jobs again," Walsh said, but said she enjoys her current employment.
There have been windfalls. Shannon Webb '09 was hired by Deutsche Bank to work in their Jacksonville, Fla., location. A double major in German and finance, Webb said she had little trouble finding work once she graduated.
"I felt like I could find a job, just maybe not what I wanted," she said.
Webb said she has heard preeminently good news regarding her former classmates' job searches.
"I think a couple people are underpaid for what they do, but with this economy it's kind of par for the course," Webb said.
Emily Breiner '09 was hired as a designer for the American Red Cross in October, a job she said she didn't anticipate, especially because jobs are scarce in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio.
Breiner said many jobs she looked at were undesirable, requiring her to work second shift or weekends.
"A huge drawback is people are applying to anything and everything that applies to them," flooding the job market, she said.
But Perry said that despite the post-recession trend of unemployment persisting up to two years into a recovery, things could improve for May 2010 graduates.
"Hopefully if the economy keeps this forward momentum, it'll be pretty obvious we're in a recovery," he said. "It could be that that is at least an average job market, much better than the market for the class of 2009 - it could be the best job market in three years for college grads."
There have been windfalls. Shannon Webb '09 was hired by Deutsche Bank to work in their Jacksonville, Fla., location. A double major in German and finance, Webb said she had little trouble finding work once she graduated.
"I felt like I could find a job, just maybe not what I wanted," she said.
Webb said she has heard preeminently good news regarding her former classmates' job searches.
"I think a couple people are underpaid for what they do, but with this economy it's kind of par for the course," Webb said.
Emily Breiner '09 was hired as a designer for the American Red Cross in October, a job she said she didn't anticipate, especially because jobs are scarce in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio.
Breiner said many jobs she looked at were undesirable, requiring her to work second shift or weekends.
"A huge drawback is people are applying to anything and everything that applies to them," flooding the job market, she said.
But Perry said that despite the post-recession trend of unemployment persisting up to two years into a recovery, things could improve for May 2010 graduates.
"Hopefully if the economy keeps this forward momentum, it'll be pretty obvious we're in a recovery," he said. "It could be that that is at least an average job market, much better than the market for the class of 2009 - it could be the best job market in three years for college grads."
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Joy Pavelski
posted 11/20/09 @ 12:07 PM EST
This was a beautifully written story. It combined stats with plenty of illustrations in a neat, easy-to-read and interesting package. Just what I wanted to read. (Continued…)
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