Now that finals are winding down, university graduations are fast approaching. Good news for those soon-to-be grads entering the “real world” though: the job market is thriving and is ready for you to jump right on in.
This is thanks to a low unemployment rate across not only the nation, but the state, and even locally as well.
“The 2016 cohort I should say is more fortunate than the previous ones in the past six or seven years because the job market has been improving,” said Dr. Rashid Al-Hmoud, associate professor of economics at Texas Tech University. “The national unemployment rate has declined to five percent today, compared to 10 percent during the great recession, the ‘07-2009 years. And the state of Texas is significantly lower as far as the national unemployment rate. The state of Texas right now is at 4.3 percent unemployment.”
And while some students may want to relocate for work after graduation and begin their careers in larger cities, Dr. Al-Hmoud suggests starting off in Lubbock would not be such a bad idea. As compared to larger cities in Texas, the cost of living in Lubbock is lower, it’s a great place to save up some money, and according to a study published by “Wallet Hub,” a personal finance website, Lubbock ranks fifteenth in the country as one of the best cities to start a business.
“Better news for those who want to stick around in Lubbock is that the unemployment rate is even lower. It’s about 3.3 percent and it has not changed in a while. So things are good in the Hub City.” added Dr. Al-Hmoud.
“There are various employment opportunities for the 2016 graduates, I just hope they take advantage of the improving market conditions.”
Even seniors who aren’t entirely sure what their next career move is say they’re excited for the future, such as Jenabeth Morgan who will be graduating this upcoming weekend with her Master’s in Mass Communications from Texas Tech University.
“It’s a really broad field to get into and so I’m so excited. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing necessarily, but anything in the media field I’m definitely down to do because I really love the field itself and I’m so glad i majored in the right thing,” aid Morgan. “I’m feeling very positive about it because I’m not super set on one specific thing. I think for most college students coming out of college, you may not land your dream job. I mean some people may be lucky enough to do that, but a lot of times you have to start at an entry level and go up from there.”
This upcoming summer Morgan says she will be interning with the Television Academy Foundation as a digital entertainment intern.
Her advice for her fellow graduates and underclassmen:
“I know that college life is awesome and you get to experience a lot of great things, but sometimes you get so focused on planning for the future, ‘If I get through this exam, I’ll be fine.’ Definitely don’t plan so far ahead that you miss what’s going on right now.”
