Where the class of '24 wants to work
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More of this year's graduating college seniors are seeking the security of a government job, and fewer are applying to risky-seeming tech jobs, per Handshake, the campus recruitment website.
Why it matters: The class of 2024 — which Axios has dubbed "the bummer generation" because of how COVID-19 warped the seminal events of their young lives — just wants stability and a comfortable income, thank you.
Driving the news: Job security, work/life balance, and the ability to live near family and friends are the top considerations for the class of 2024, Handshake's opinion survey and job applications data show.
- "76% of this class says that stability is the #1 factor they'll be considering," Christine Cruzvergara, Handshake's chief education strategy officer, tells Axios.
By the numbers: 7.4% of applications submitted on Handshake from this year's graduating class were for government roles, up from 5.5% last year.
- 21% of applications were for tech jobs, down from 23% last year.
Yes, but: A lot of the young people seeking to work for Uncle Sam are targeting tech roles, Cruzvergara says.
- "The government has increased a lot of their tech hires," she adds.
- The IRS and the Department of Health and Human Services have been particularly popular among applicants.
Where they're going: New York City is the most popular destination for Class of 2024 applicants, attracting 9.1% of total applications — up from 8% last year.
- Other cities seeing the biggest increases in the share of job applications are Washington, D.C.; Texas City, Texas; Salt Lake City and Boise.
- Dallas, Seattle, Houston, Denver and Atlanta saw the biggest decreases.
Zoom in: After "stability," the top factor influencing this year's grads was location (cited by 75% of students polled by Handshake).
- Following that were positive employer reputation (72%), high starting salary (71%), flexible schedule (61%) and hybrid work (46%).
What they're saying: This year's college seniors have "had to do a lot of adapting," Cruzvergara tells Axios.
- "They've had to be nimble, adaptable and gritty. I'm not surprised they're looking for something a bit more stable."
- In addition, "they have a higher bar of expectation around what work/life balance looks like."
- "Government is a far leap from tech, but it offers stability; it offers great benefits."
Between the lines: 58% of 2024 graduates say the current economic news makes them feel "somewhat" or "very" pessimistic — up from 46% last year.
- 37% worry about paying off their student loans (a question Handshake didn't ask last year).
- 22% are looking for an employer that offers student loan repayment benefits — something that only 7% of employers offer, Handshake says.
Methodology: Opinion data was gleaned from 2,687 students from 616 schools who answered a voluntary online survey from Handshake between March 11-24, 2024.
