As the class of 2010 get their caps and gowns ready, some graduates feel a whirlwind of emotions. Rocio Garcia says she is excited to start a new stage in her life but admits she is nervous to head into the tough job market.
She says, “It isn’t pretty in the world, and in less than three weeks, I’m going to be out there, and I wont have a job.” Garcia is a double major in international studies and German, she says she may join AmeriCorps and wait for the economy to improve.
Erick Eschker, chair of the Humboldt State University economics department, warns graduates about the current economy. “This is the worst recession since the Great Depression,” he says. “We’re seeing levels of unemployment we haven’t seen since the early 80s.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics recorded 15 million unemployed people nationwide in March, an increase of 2 million people since last year.
“I don’t suggest waiting six months to see if things turn around,” says Eschker. “There’s not going to be a quick recovery.”
However, he is optimistic about the ability of young college graduates to find work. “They’ll have skills employers are going to want,” he says. “And, they’re also cheap.”
According a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2009, those with only a high school diploma had an unemployment rate that was twice as high as those with a beachelors degree.
Eschker adds that this would be a good time for people to think about graduate school. “I advise casting a wide net,” he said. “Be open to different types of jobs. In the long run, people who have more flexibility tend to get higher wages and are promoted quicker.”
Nancy Tobin graduated from HSU 11 years ago with an art degree. She decided to use her interest in fashion to start a business. “I worked for a year, and every week, I would take an aspect of what it took to run a business and research it,” she says. “I had nothing to lose.”
A year out of college, she opened Vintage Avenger, a clothing store on H Street. However, she says these are different times. “It sucks for people right out of school. With all the lay offs and businesses closing down, there are too many people in the job market,” says Tobin. College graduates must compete with older, more experienced people for jobs, she says.
“My advice is to move where you want to and settle and make it work from there,” says Tobin.
If you want to look for work in California, consider that it has the third highest unemployment rate in the nation. It is tied with Rhode Island with an unemployment rate 12.6%. Michigan has the highest with 14.1%. Nevada has a rate of 13.4%.
Natural resource planning and interpretation major Brianna McDowell found work. She begins her job as a naturalist at an outdoor school in New York next fall. “I have a job lined up that directly relates to my major, so I actually feel a lot more prepared than some of my fellow classmates,” she says.
McDowell does not have to worry about finding a job right now. However, after graduation she must pay back $16,000 in school loans. “I’m prepared to be in debt for awhile,” she says. Although the debt makes her nervous at times, she feels excited about the future. “I didn’t choose a field based on money. I chose a field that
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