Spotlight for Career Services Professionals
Employers responding to NACE’s Job Outlook 2016 Spring Update survey expressed the most interest in hiring engineering, business, computer science, and accounting majors.
Given the mix of employers holding NACE membership, this is not a surprising result.
Two-thirds of respondents indicated plans to hire engineering and business majors, while one-half intended to hire computer science and accounting majors.
Additionally, one-quarter of employers responding to the survey said they planned to hire economics, physical sciences, and communications majors.
The Job Outlook 2016 Spring Update survey was conducted from February 10 – March 22, 2016. The survey was sent to 944 NACE members; 144, or 15.3 percent, responded. NACE members can access the Job Outlook 2016 Spring Update report through MyNACE.
Figure 1: Hiring expectations by major
| Academic Discipline |
Percentage of Respondents
Hiring Discipline |
Average Percentage of Total
New Recruits Within Discipline |
| Engineering |
66.9% |
47.2% |
| Business |
63.7% |
33.5% |
| Computer Science |
51.6% |
24.6% |
| Accounting |
51.6% |
16.7% |
| Economics |
27.4% |
9.3% |
| Physical Sciences |
24.2% |
9.8% |
| Communications |
24.2% |
7.4% |
| Misc. Majors |
18.5% |
16.8% |
| Social Sciences |
16.1% |
5.9% |
| Humanities |
14.5% |
5.6% |
| Education* |
6.5% |
72.9% |
| Agriculture |
5.6% |
8.9% |
| Health Sciences |
4.8% |
16.7% |
Source: Job Outlook 2016 Spring Update, National Association of Colleges and Employers
* Of the eight respondents that are hiring education degrees, six recruit education majors exclusively, and education majors will comprise 100 percent of their total new recruits.