Graduating students won't likely have good news on the job front for nosy relatives at Thanksgiving because national unemployment has reached a 14-year high, and most of California's job market is even gloomier.
Christina Van Buskirk, an economics major, plans to graduate in spring and feels the job-market pinch, she said.
"I'm a little depressed about it," she said.
In October, 240,000 people lost their jobs in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
California's unemployment rate topped a 12-year record, according to the Employment Development Department.
The tighter job market hit both students and alumni, said Megan Odom, manager of employer relations to the Career Center.
About 80 companies came for the fall career fair, about eight or nine fewer than last year, she said.
"They're hiring," she said. "It's just a matter of how many."
Enloe Medical Center has several positions open, more than any other company linked to the Career Center's Web site, Odom said. Jobs are available for not just registered nurses, but also for accountants, a financial analyst and technicians.
Eric Swanson, president of chicojobs.com, has seen that strong demand in the health care industry, he said. But other industries stopped creating new jobs. He estimated total job postings dropped between 20 and 30 percent across the 65 sites his company manages.
The banking crisis and the election year were a "double whammy," he said. Hiring usually slows down during an election year, in his experience.
As a job seeker in one of those slowed industries, Van Buskirk considered arming herself with another degree, maybe a master's, she said.
"Getting a bachelor's degree isn't what it used to be," she said.
Ellen Walrath can be reached at ewalrath@theorion.com
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