Data analytics, supply chain management graduates in demand: Survey

There’s some good news for MBA graduates. About 88% campus recruiters globally plan to hire more B-school graduates in 2016, up 8% from last year. About 54% recruiters also plan to increase starting salaries for them, says a global survey report by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

Hiring demand for B-school graduates will remain high in the Asia-Pacific region with 84% of Asia-Pacific employers planning to hire recent MBA graduates in 2016, up from 73% in 2015. No India specific numbers were given.

Graduates with master’s degrees in finance and accounting will also be in demand among Asia-Pacific employers. About 75% employers plan to hire graduates with master’s in management, 54% are looking for master’s in finance graduates, and 49% will hire master’s in accounting graduates this year.

The survey findings are based on responses from 842 employers representing more than 530 companies in 40 countries worldwide who recruit directly from participating business schools.

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On hiring plans for graduates of other non-MBA master’s programmes, the global report reveals that 27% respondents plan to hire master’s of supply chain management, 26% plan take on board master’s of data analytics graduates and 24% of respondents plan to recruit master’s of marketing graduates.

“Graduates from supply chain management programmes are in greatest demand among companies in the manufacturing, technology, and products and services sectors, whereas graduates of master’s-level programmes in data analytics are in greatest demand in the technology sector, sought by 43% of companies — nearly twice as many companies as in other industries,” the report says.