Finance Club - Zurich

New research shows that the number of employers planning on hiring MBA graduates this year is the highest it has been since 2008.

The 2013 Corporate Recruiters Survey, produced by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), reveals that of the 935 employers surveyed around the world who recruit on business school campuses, 75% have or plan to hire MBAs during 2013. This is an increase from 71% last year, and as few as 50% in 2009.

Further, the average number of MBAs that each company expects to hire has increased from 11.4 MBAs, to 14.6 this year.

Regional MBA job prospects

When analysed at a regional level, the report highlights that companies within the Asia Pacific region "are experiencing robust growth and planning for market expansion in 2013," thus "creating higher demand this year for MBAs and master-level candidates."

Meanwhile, though the general outlook for European jobs is not a positive one, "the hiring outlook for MBAs remains stable compared with 2012".

GMAC's research tallies with a similar report published annually by QS, the TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary Trends Report [hyperlink to report]. Released last year, the TopMBA.com research reveals the hiring plans of over 3,300 active MBA recruiters.

Split regionally, predicted hiring during 2013 is expected to increase in every region:

•    Africa and the Middle East: 23% increase
•    Asia Pacific: 26%
•    Eastern Europe: 4%
•    Latin America: 9%
•    US and Canada: 2%
•    Western Europe: 2%

When looking at these statistics, it's worth noting that MBA job markets in Europe and North America are well developed, and so even a small percentage increase in job availability represents a large number of potential job openings in real-terms.