Companies working directly with business schools plan to hire more MBAs this year than they hired in 2015 according to a global survey report released recently by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).
Some 88 percent of corporate recruiters who work directly with graduate business schools plan to hire recent MBA graduates in 2016, up eight percentage points from last year and 33 percentage points higher than 2010, the lowest point of the Great Recession.
Employer hiring demand for graduate business school candidates remains high in the Asia-Pacific region, with 84 percent of employers planning to hire recent MBA graduates in 2016, compared with 73 percent that hired these candidates last year .
In 2016, more employers in Asia-Pacific also plan to hire graduates of Master in Management programs (75% vs. 71%), Master of Accounting programs (49% vs. 39%), and Master of Finance (54% vs. 48%) programs compared with 2015.
Sixty-nine percent of corporate recruiters representing companies in Asia-Pacific report plans for growth and expansion.
Of employers in Asia-Pacific who plan to hire recent MBA graduates, 62 percent will increase the number of MBA candidates they hire in 2016.
GMAC conducted the 15th annual Corporate Recruiters Survey in February and March together with survey partners EFMD and MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance (MBA CSEA), in association with 109 participating graduate business schools.
The results show overall that half of the companies responding have plans to hire an MBA in 2016 — ranging from 35 percent of companies in Germany to 70 percent of companies in China.
“The survey highlights the value business schools provide to students in connecting them with employers that want to hire them,” said Bob Alig, GMAC’s executive vice president for school products. “These results are compelling evidence for admissions professionals to demonstrate the value of a graduate business degree to prospective applicants.”
