Employers anticipate hiring 3.4 percent more interns in 2017 than they did in 2016, according to a recent report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Perhaps this isn’t surprising given that the demand for employees outweighs the supply of qualified candidates.
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It may be a situation, at least in part, of acquiring talent however you can get it.
Findings from the NACE report show 2017 is the first year since 2013 that employers have reported positive hiring projections for interns and full-time, entry-level hires. In recent years, employers indicated positive hiring projections for full-time hires, while they expected to either maintain or decrease their hiring levels for interns.
Not all employers throughout the United States have similar intern hiring plans, however. In fact, projections vary greatly by region.
Projections also vary based on company size.
Intern Hiring by Region
For 2017, the strongest hiring projections for interns are associated with employers in the Mid-Atlantic region, where companies expect to hire 20.3 percent more interns in comparison to last year.
New England and the Southeast are also expected to see strong intern hiring this year, with projections up by 6.5 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, in the West, a modest increase of 1.5 percent is anticipated.
The weakest projections are associated with employers in the Midwest region, where a decline of 5.5 percent is expected. In the Southwest, 1.5 percent fewer interns are expected to be hired in comparison to last year.
Intern Hiring by Company Size
For 2017, the strongest hiring projections are associated with companies with more than 20,000 employees. Among these firms, a 6.6 percent increase in intern hiring is expected.
The weakest projections are associated with companies with 501 to 1,000 employees. Among these firms, a 17.2 percent decrease in intern hiring is anticipated. Companies with 500 employees or less expect a 3.2 percent decrease.
While larger companies generally expect to hire more interns, those in the 1,001 to 10,000 employee range, which represent three categories in all, expect relatively modest increases, from 0.6 percent to 2.8 percent.
The exception is companies with 10,001 to 20,000 employees. These firms anticipate hiring 3.1 percent fewer interns this year.