Rutgers Poll: Recent Graduates Having Trouble Finding Work
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Rutgers University poll finds that the most recent graduates are stuck taking lower-paying jobs that are less likely to offer health insurance.
The poll of 571 graduates of public and private four-year schools found just over half have full-time jobs and finds their average wage is $27,000 to $30,000 a year. They were graduates from 2006 to 2010.
"We still have half of them being paid by the hour rather than the salary and about half of them doing work that they don't need a college degree for," said Rutgers professor Cliff Zucan.
Just under half say their first jobs didn't really require bachelor's degrees and nearly half say their parents are helping them financially.
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The poll found those who graduated between 2006 and 2008 fared better than those who graduated in 2009 or 2010.
The earlier grads were paid about $3,000 a year more in their first jobs.
And 88 percent of them received health insurance, compared with 77 percent of the more recent grads.
The studyalso found 83 percent worked their way through college. The sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
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