Despite turbulent conditions in the job market for new graduates, hopeful students lined up to fill the U of L Red Barn on Aug. 29 for the annual Job Fair.
Representatives from companies like Coca-Cola, Marriot Hotels and UPS, who are still able to absorb new hires, set up booths and pitched positions to students who ambled between handshakes and foldout tables.
Although shaky conditions in the job market have shown signs of stabilization in the last quarter, many graduates are still in the midst of a rabid job search.
The Associated Press reported in April, “53.6 percent, of bachelor’s degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, the highest share in at least 11 years.”
Statistics on job loss for those who have a bachelor’s degree are less worrisome. While some argue that the unemployment rate of recent graduates may reflect a reduced overall value of a four-year degree, statistics from the Bureau of Labor indicate that a four-year degree may be the key to keeping a job during times of company-wide layoff.
Forbes reported that, “In the group with the best education, there was no net job loss during the recession and the number of people who held jobs climbed 2.2 million or 5 percent,” and that, “While the national rate is 8.3 percent the rate is just 4.5 percent for all four-year college graduates.”
[email protected]
Photo: Rae Hodge/The Louisville Cardinal
