The survey—which gathered responses from 1,028 corporate recruiters globally—revealed 79% of employers planned to hire Master in Management and Master of Data Analytics grads in 2023.
This continued a previous trend when Master in Management and Master of Data Analytics grads were the most hired among business master’s programs in 2022, with 78% and 75% of employers hiring from their respective cohorts.
Regionally, business master’s graduates were hired most in Central and South Asia, East and Southeast Asia, and Western Europe.
In Central and South Asia, 98% of employers hired Master of Data Analytics graduates—higher than any other degree type—whereas in East and Southeast Asia Master in Management grads were most hired (88%). In Western Europe, Master in Management graduates were also hired most by employers (89%).
In the US—where the MBA has a more dominant presence in business school recruitment—hiring for master’s graduates was considerably lower. In total, 56% of employers hired Master of Data Analytics graduates whereas just 42% of employers hired Master in Management graduates. The figure was the same for Master of Finance and Master of Accounting hires.
The survey provided reassurance for current b-school students looking to the future, indicating that macroeconomic factors such as inflation and recessions haven't affected hiring projections among employers for 2023.
Even in the finance and technology sectors, which have seen a surge of layoffs in so far this year, companies said they planned to increase headcounts.
While Master in Management and Master of Data Analytics are in-demand globally, desire was strongest in the tech industry. According to the survey, 78% of tech employers planned to hire Master in Management grads in 2023, while for Master of Data Analytics grads the figure was 79%.
Master of Accounting graduates were most in demand in the finance and accounting sectors, where 78% of employers planned to hire talent in 2023.
Employers who indicated plans to hire business master’s talent in 2023 also revealed the job functions they intended to place them in.
More than half (53%) said they wanted Master in Management graduates for general management roles, 48% for product management roles, 46% for project management, and 45% for HR and organizational management roles.
For Master of Data Analytics grads, 55% of employers reported a desire to hire talent into data science roles and 47% into information technology roles.
Master of Finance and Master of Accounting graduates could also expect to land roles which correspond with their degree function, the report found.
Elsewhere, MBA hiring remained strong with 90% of global employers reporting plans to hire MBA grads in 2023.
