Careers: Journalism job market weak

The job market for graduates of journalism and mass communications programs in the United States remains relatively weak, according to a survey of 2006 grads.

The survey is conducted annually by the University of Georgia’s James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research.

"Graduates of U.S. journalism and mass communication programs confronted a weakened job market in 2006 and early 2007," Lee B. Becker, director of the Cox Center and professor of journalism in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, said in statement about the report.

Some stats from the survey:

* Seventy-six percent of 2006 journalism and mass communication bachelor’s degree recipients had at least one job offer on graduation, comparable to the figure for 2005 grads. About 72 percent of master’s degree recipients had at least one job offer on graduation, also comparable to the previous year.

* By October 31, 2006, about five months after graduate, 64 percent of the previous spring's graduates held a full-time job; 12 percent held a part-time job.

* Only half of the journalism and mass communication bachelor’s degree recipients with a job in communication were working a 40-hour week. A quarter reported working between 41-50 hours per week.

* For women the market remained relatively unchanged from the previous year but it was weaker for men.

* Student who are members of ethnic and racial minority groups had a harder time finding jobs than white graduates.

* Four in ten graduates of journalism and mass communication graduates with a job in communication reported that at least part of their duties involved writing or editing for the Web, an increase over the previous year

* Median salaries for graduates increased by about $1,000 between the 2005 and 2006 surveys -- just enough to keep up with inflation.

You can download the report here.