Gen Y Will Move For Entry Level Jobs

Despite the fact that the current economic strife has curtailed the number of entry level jobs that many employers are providing, hiring managers are still looking for recent graduates who are talented. In many cases, the problem is that the jobs are in one location while the best potential employees are in another. Were jobs more abundant, many might hold out for positions closer to home, but a new survey shows that many graduates looking for entry level jobs are willing to move for work.

Experience, Inc., an entry level job search site, recently polled Generation Y for its 2008 Hot Cities Survey and found that 85 percent of those who are fresh out of college are willing to move within the U.S.. Another 70 percent responded that they would be willing relocate outside of the country.

The survey found that 44 percent those polled citied their careers as the reasoning behind considering to move. Hoping to find a more favorable social scene was the reason that 19 percent said they would be willing to relocate. Another 6 percent said that were thinking about moving for family reasons.

Despite the obvious willingness to move, 33 percent of entry level job seekers said that a high cost of living would be a reason that they might turn down a company's offer for employment.

The survey also asked participants where they would most like to move. New York was they most popular metropolitan area, with 12 percent of entry level job seekers reporting a desire to move there. Washington, D.C. and Chicago were the top locations of choice for 8 percent of those polled. San Francisco, which appealed to 7 percent of participants, came next. The fifth slot was a four way tie between Seattle/Tacoma, Atlanta, Boston and Charlotte, all of which were attractive to 5 percent of those polled.

"Employers have the opportunity to attract a larger entry-level talent base by sourcing beyond their geographical boundaries," said founder and CEO of Experience Jenny Floren. "It's imperative that recruiters understand what motivates Gen Y and then promote the comprehensive benefits of their job opportunities, including the aspects of living in a specific region. When organizations can attract and retain large number of young professionals with optimized workforce development efforts, there can be a real economic boon to the city."

At this time, Experience.com is the largest career site in the nation for entry level job seekers. The website finished the survey in August of this year. Altogether 277 individuals participated in the poll. More than 100,000 employers use the website to look for talent that have attended 3,800 different colleges and universities.