College graduates searching for jobs in Iowa have an easier time than in most states, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce that takes an in-depth look at online job postings across the country. Iowa is listed as 11th best, and the most employment opportunities are for college grads with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.

Tony Carnevale, the report’s lead author and the center’s director, says the national trend is a higher demand for college graduates. “The texture of what employers are looking for is changing, in the sense that they’re much more focused on specialization and degree specialization,” he explains. “They care what you majored in in college, as much as they care whether or not you went.”

The report assessed jobs requiring four year college degrees, and concludes that overall, the sheer number of jobs posted shows that the economy has recovered. Government-listed positions were not part of the report. Carnevale notes another trend is in sales jobs, which traditionally have not required a four-year college degree. Now, two-thirds of sales jobs require a college degree. “And a fair share of them – half, roughly – are selling medical or industrial technology and equipment,” he says. “You’re selling to experts, you’ve got to be one.”

The best states for college graduate jobs are Massachusetts, Delaware and Washington. The worst are South Carolina, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

(Iowa News Service)