Hiring Outlook Brightening for New College Graduates

Employers expect to hire 10.2 percent more new college graduates in 2012 than they did in 2011, the National Association of Colleges and Employers said in its spring outlook on Monday. That's slightly higher than the 9.5 percent increase that the employers projected when surveyed last fall, suggesting that their view of the economy is continuing to brighten. The job numbers are of increasing relevance to college officials as they seek to respond to growing concerns about recession-fueled student debt and to public pressure on them to report their job placement rates.