Good news came this week for prospective college graduates, who might breathe a little easier about whether jobs will be available for them when they enter the workforce. Because the economy continues to recover at the same time some of the older baby boomers begin to retire, companies around the United States are ready to hire anew, reports from recruiters, career counselors and students revealed in a Monday report.

One survey showed that college hiring may increase 13 percent from last year. In addition, 70 percent of employers who were surveyed said they will offer higher salaries to new graduates this year over last year’s group.

College reports and career fairs show this year’s trend is a turnaround from recent years, when graduates scrambled for jobs and often took jobs outside their fields just to have work. A wire service reported four out of five employers believe the job market is good, very good or excellent. The job market has not been characterized in that way for several years.

Some job fields are outpacing others. They include accounting, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, business administration, economics, computer science, computer engineering, marketing, chemical engineering and information systems.

For those just entering college or junior college or those a year or two away from graduation, there is no way to predict how the job market will change by the time they complete their education. They should continue to work diligently toward graduation.

One thing is clear, however. American businesses and corporations are emerging from a period of conservative thinking and looking more boldly toward the future. That kind of thinking always is good news for the economy and the country in general.

Furthermore, college graduates can feel good about themselves, knowing the hard work has paid off with opportunities to get good jobs at good pay &045; a solid sendoff into a work world that is welcoming them.