The news was good, and then it got even better.

New college graduates are facing a promising job outlook - one some analysts say is one of the best in recent history.

Employers surveyed earlier this year said they plan to hire 19.2 percent more new college graduates this year than a year ago, according to a report released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

While any double-digit percentage increase shows promise, it's up even from predictions cast earlier this year. The figures were revised in April as employers' expectations grew even more optimistic - encouraged by business growth and more interest in hiring new graduates.

It marks the fourth-straight year of double-digit projected increases and amounts to about 30,000 new hires, said Andrea Koncz, the association's employment information manager.

The association attributes the hiring surge to an increased demand for employers' products and services. The rapid departure of the baby boomers from the workforce also is freeing up positions and bolstering junior's chances of landing a job post graduation.

Accounting, business administration/management, computer science and electrical and mechanical engineering top the list of degrees most in demand nationally.

Nebraska's new grad employment outlook nearly mirrors the national picture, said Larry Routh, director of career services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

While students may be having success today in landing jobs within accounting, business and other fields, he offers a few words of caution to those students who have not yet declared a major.

Career paths and futures should not be designed solely on the lists of jobs that today are noted for their promised growth, he said. For one, there's no guarantee on how long they will stay hot. Students must first consider their top interests and skills before looking to supply and demand.

"Not everybody is cut out to be an engineer or an actuary or a physical therapist," he said.

Students as well need to resist the sway of television and movies, including one popular crime drama series that has focused the limelight on forensics, he said, as demand for jobs in that field haven't risen as quickly.

UNL annually conducts its own query of students, netting answers on graduates' satisfaction in the jobs they land, where they are working and how much money they're making.

About 75 percent of graduates polled in the months around graduation report they have a job, will attend graduate school or have some other plan, according to Routh, who said the figure has stayed fairly consistent in recent years.

In today's economy, getting a job isn't necessarily the problem, he said.

"The real issue is whether they get the job they really want," he said.

According to the 2005-06 survey, 90.3 percent of respondents with a job said they were working in a field related to their area of study and about 93 percent of those who landed a job said they were satisfied.

The survey doesn't track how long it took them to get their job, Routh said.

Some 65 percent of respondents said they were working in Nebraska, with another 13 percent working in a bordering state. Lincoln, Omaha, Kansas City and Denver top the list of places graduates are working.

Ameritas, BryanLGH Medical Center, the financial services firm of Deloitte & Touche and St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center are among a smattering of companies that routinely have showed up on the list of employers hiring the most UNL graduates.

Deloitte typically hires about 20 to 25 college graduates annually for its offices in Lincoln and Omaha, said Bryan Slone, an office managing partner with Deloitte Tax.

The numbers of fresh-out-of-college hires has been on the rise, as in other service industries growing at a rapid pace, he said. That trend will likely continue at least for the next three to five years, he said.

The firm hopes to fish traditional traits out of the applicant pool, including a solid academic record, good communication skills and integrity, among other qualities, Slone said.

The firm wants innovative employees and those who are adept at handling change, he said. Growing in demand, perhaps, is the need for leadership qualities.

Deloitte is finding what they want. The challenge is, so are other firms.

Competition for qualified candidates has been rising, and lends itself to some changes in recruiting, Slone said.

Graduates as well are looking for more detailed information, with questions more about what their career could entail, including long-term prospects, versus the specific duties of an entry-level job, he said.

Many more substantive conversations are occurring through the recruiting process, while Deloitte as well has transitioned into a more transparent operation, he said.

The growing demand for new college graduates isn't specific to the accounting or business realm. Competitiveness can be seen across many industries, said Koncz, of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Some companies have responded by offering a boost to salaries and other benefits to gain a competitive edge, she said.

A report released by the association in recent months showed at the bachelor's degree level, of 29 majors that reported a change in their average starting salary offer, 26 reported an increase.

Marketing graduates, who showed the biggest increase among business majors, reported offers averaging $41,285, according to the report. That's up more than 10 percent from last year's reported average.

But salary isn't all, Koncz said. Others have invested more in their training programs, health and wellness and other on-the-job incentives that not only could attract graduates, but encourage them to stay and build a career, she said.

Some employers are getting creative. She's heard of one instance where an employer offered free iPods to new college hires.

Reach Jean Ortiz at 473-7107 or jortiz@journalstar.com.