Poll finds recent college grads hit by recession

A Rutgers University poll finds that the most recent graduates are stuck taking lower-paying jobs that are less likely to offer health insurance. The poll of 571 graduates of public and private four-year schools found just over half have full-time jobs. Those polled are graduates from 2006 to 2010. Just under half say their first jobs didn’t really require bachelor’s degrees, and nearly half say their parents are helping them financially. The poll found those who graduated between 2006 and 2008 fared better than those who graduated in 2009 or 2010. The earlier grads were paid about $3,000 a year more in their first jobs than later grads. And 88% of the former group received health insurance, compared with 77% of the more recent grads.