Employers Signal Healthy Demand for B-School Grads in 2017

Seven in 10 companies agree that recruiting business school graduates is a priority in their 2017 hiring plans.

Jan 10, 2017

New GMAC Research

Employers interview business school graduate

This year is shaping up to be positive for job-seeking business school graduates, as 83 percent of surveyed companies have plans to hire business school graduates this year, as revealed in the findings from GMAC’s annual Year-End Poll of Employers

Nearly 8 in 10 employers (79%) expect to hire MBA graduates in 2017, compared with 68 percent of the same companies that hired MBA candidates in 2016. Among companies planning to hire MBAs in 2017, 78 percent of employers plan of to hire as many or more of them than they did last year. The 2017 hiring forecast for graduates of master’s programs in management and accounting is on trend with past years, with about a third of employers expecting to hire candidates with master’s degrees in management (31%) and accounting (29%), up from actual hiring outcomes in 2016 for these candidates. 

Not only are a greater share of companies planning to hire business school graduates in 2017, but these employers also plan to increase the number of MBA and non-MBA graduates they will hire, expanding the number of positions for job-seeking b-school graduates. 

Results of the 2016 Year-End Poll of Employers reflect responses provided by 167 recruiters from more than 140 companies of varying sizes and industry sectors across the globe. For more data and insights related to employer hiring demand, as well as salary projections, internships offerings, and employer organizational goals, you can download the full summary report at gmac.com/employerpoll.