The Most Preferred Benefit For New College Grads and the Runners Up
Want more evidence that the Great Recession has altered the job hunting landscape for new grads? Historically, they wanted health benefits. Now that’s changing.
In a recent study released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers the most preferred benefit was AN INCREASE IN SALARY. Healthcare benefits had slipped in its standing. Historically, graduating seniors taking part in NACE’s annual student survey have placed medical insurance in the top spot, according to Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. “However, among graduating seniors taking part in NACE’s 2012 Student Survey, healthcare benefits landed fourth on the list, behind the annual salary increase, a 401(k) match, and tuition reimbursement,” she says.
It may be the provision in the Affordable Care Act which allows young adults up to the age of 26 the opportunity to remain on a parent’s policy.
Still having run the college debt gauntlet and the unpaid internship derby recent graduates are after what may be an elusive intangible, a trait shared by their grandparents and great-grandparents that came of age during the Great Depression. “The focus is—and has been–on benefits that provide security,” says Ms. Mackes. “Salary increases, the 401(k) match, and various insurances provide a financial net while tuition reimbursement supports the graduate’s ability to acquire new skills and gain or retain value in the job market.”
Tags: 401K, college graduates, healthcare, job benefits, job seekers, National Association of Colleges and Employers, tuition reimbursement
