GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) has completed their Year-End Poll of Employers for 2016. Participating in the survey were 167 recruiters representing 140 companies located in 27 countries throughout the world, with the majority located in the US. Responders included 36 companies in the Fortune 500, 21 of which are Fortune 100 companies. The poll showed strong employment numbers for recent business school graduates and clear demand for these candidates as part of companies’ 2017 hiring plans.

Here are some findings from the 2016 poll:

• Employers feel strongly about b-school grads. Nearly 8 in 10 employers (79%) plan on hiring MBA grads in 2017, up from 68% in 2016. They expect to hire as many or more of these candidates than they did in 2016.

• Starting salaries for business graduates are expected to go up. Among employers planning to hire MBA candidates in 2017, more than half (58%) plan to increase starting salaries for these hires at or above the inflation rate in 2017.

• There will be plenty of MBA internships in 2017. Among companies offering internships, 66% plan to offer internships to MBA students in 2017. 82% of these companies plan to increase or maintain the number of MBA internship opportunities in 2017.

• Growth is expected in most companies. The majority of companies (56%) in the poll stated that they expect to expand/grow in 2017. Of these companies, 80% expect to hire recent MBA graduates.

The 2017 hiring projections for recent business grads are strong. Nearly 80% of companies plan on hiring MBA grads and a majority of companies will be offering internships to MBA students. More than half of the companies stated that they are growing and expanding.

Companies are looking for high-performing, extremely skilled b-school grades with experience who are willing to work hard and make a difference.

Click here to see all of the poll results.

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Related Resources:

• What You Need to Know About Finding a Job Post-MBA [Episode 164]
• Connections Count. And You Can Create Them.
• How Much More Can MBAs Make? Career Switching, Compensation Increase & More