U.S. News & World Report (03/19/12) Laura McMullen

An increasing number of new graduates with masters degrees in business administration are landing jobs, compared with the past two years, according to an analysis of U.S. News & World Report data. Of the business schools providing job placement data for their 2011 graduates of full-time MBA programs, 78.8% of those graduates were hired within three months of graduation. By comparison, 75.7% of 2010 graduates and 70.8% of 2009 graduates landed a job within three months of graduation. These average percentage gains reflect a 4.1% growth in the MBA hiring market from 2010, and an 11.3% increase from 2009.

Many companies are expressing their interest in MBAs by approaching them at school. Approximately 70% of the 102 business programs surveyed for a February 2012 MBA Career Services Council report experienced increased on-campus recruiting in 2011. Specifically, those on-campus recruiters want MBAs to fill technology positions. More than 60% reported an increase in recruiting for full-time technology positions in 2011, up from the 37% gain technology job recruitment seen in 2010.