'Firms plan to hire more MBAs this year'

Companies working with business schools plan to hire more MBAs (Master of Business Administration) this year compared to 2015, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) said on Wednesday, following a global survey it conducted.

"Some 88 per cent of corporate recruiters who work directly with graduate business schools plan to hire recent MBA graduates in 2016, up eight percentage points from last year and 33 percentage points higher than 2010, the lowest point of the Great Recession," GMAC said in a release here.

The survey, conducted in association with 109 graduate business schools, is based on responses from 842 employers representing more than 530 companies in 40 countries worldwide who recruit directly from business schools, GMAC said.

According to the council, the "General Population Employer Survey" yielded responses from 1,282 companies located in the six largest markets for graduate management education -- China, France, Germany, India, Britain and the US.

"The results show overall that half of the companies responding to the supplemental survey have plans to hire an MBA in 2016 -- ranging from 35 per cent of companies in Germany to 70 per cent of companies in China," the statement said.

"These results are compelling evidence for admitting professionals to demonstrate the value of a graduate business degree to prospective applicants," said Bob Alig, GMAC's executive vice president.

GMAC is the non-profit organisation of 213 leading graduate business schools from around the world.

--IANS

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