There is a glimmer of hope in the latest report on the job market for journalism and communication grads in the US.
Students graduating in 2010 faced better prospects than those looking for jobs in 2009, according to the University of Georgia’s new Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Graduates.
The survey found that 2010 students with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and mass communication programs were more likely than were graduates a year earlier to leave college s with at least one job offer of some sort.
Overall, 58.2% of 2010 graduates reported having a full-time job within one year of graduating, compared to 55.5% in 2009.
Evidence of slight recovery was tempered by the fact that salaries are flat, as they have been for five years, while benefits offered also are stagnant.
The survey found the median salary of $30,000 for a grad was exactly the same as the median salary reported in 2006. However, the salary for a grad with a Master’s degree fell from $39,000 in 2009 to $36,200 in 2010.
Lee Becker, the report’s co-author, told the Project for Excellence in Journalism:
Any improvement underway is slight. Students are in a very challenging market. It is hard to be optimistic.
The survey covers a wide range of degrees, so the chances of landing a job depend on the type of course.
The survey also indicates that the job market varies depending on a graduate’s field of interest.
Grads specializing in news-editorial journalism, traditionally print journalism fared the worse, with a fall in full-time jobs to 50.5% compared to 71.7% in 2007.
More than 70% of grads in advertising and 62.8% in public relations had jobs.
The annual report was released at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in St. Louis.
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