BETHLEHEM, PA —Hiring will be up for new college graduates, according to a new report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

NACE’s Job Outlook 2013 survey shows that employers anticipate hiring 13 percent more Class of 2013 college graduates than they hired from the Class of 2012.

“While employers are seeking graduates from a broad range of disciplines, this fall they expressed particular interest in hiring new graduates with business, computer science, and engineering-related degrees and are looking to college campuses to supply their hiring needs,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. (See Figure 1.)

While the hiring outlook is positive among most reporting industries, some industries are especially good bets for new college graduates.

“Those most likely to increase their hiring of new college graduates include employers in chemical/pharmaceutical manufacturing; computer and electronics manufacturing; retail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; management consulting; and professional services,” says Mackes. “These fields represent demand for graduates across a spectrum of disciplines.”

Additional findings from the survey will be published in October; full results of the survey will be published in November.

About the Job Outlook Survey: The Job Outlook survey is a forecast of hiring intentions of employers as they relate to new college graduates. Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveys its employer members about their hiring plans and other employment-related issues in order to project the market for new college graduates for the current class and to assess a variety of conditions that may influence that market.

For the Job Outlook 2013 survey, data were collected July 25, 2012, through September 10, 2012. A total of 244 surveys were returned for a 25.2 percent response rate. Of those responding, 14.3 percent of respondents were from the West, 27.5 percent were from the Northeast , 27.9 percent were from the Southeast, and 30.3 percent were from the Midwest.

NACE will update the hiring outlook for the Class of 2013 in April.

About NACE: Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org.