The National Association of Colleges and Employers has predicted that the job market will hire 17.4 percent more new graduates this year. This will be good new to college graduates as the job opportunities will be plentiful.

That stress of finding work after school should be somewhat relieved this year. The NACE expects 2007 to be the best hiring period for new graduates in five years, according to its Job Outlook 2007 Fall Preview Survey.

According to the survey, employers cited growth of individual organizations combined with retirements and high attrition rates as the primary reasons they expected an increase in new graduate hires. The group predicted a 15 percent increase in such hires in 2006.

“The economy is very good right now,” Rich Cox, the fair’s organizer, said. “A lot of employers are in the hiring mode.”

Clay Reed, corporate recruiting manager for Coldwater Creek, said his company is going through a period of growth, doubling its revenue from last year and planning on doubling the number of its employees by 2010.

Growth in the job market, and a large number of retirements are cited as key reasons experts expect to see a larger number of new graduate hires. With a strong job market, graduates can rest assured of opportunities right after graduation.