Survey Indicates Seniors Face Fewer Jobs, Higher Salaries

Although college seniors are receiving fewer job offers this year, average starting salaries have risen, according to a recent survey by the Pennsylvania-based College Placement Council.

The annual survey does not include data on Harvard students, and a spokesman for the Office of Career Services and Off-Campus Learning yesterday declined to comment on Harvard trends until the office completes its own senior survey in May.

The national survey, which covered 164 schools, shows that engineering and computer science majors have fared best in the job market, while humanities and social science students have had fewer employment opportunities.

Harvard computer science concentrators have generally received multiple job offers, often in the $25,000 to $30,000 salary range Harry R. Lewis '68, McKay Professor of Computer Science, said this week.

"The industry is just soaking up everything that the good schools can produce," Lewis added.

Tight Market

Although Andrew H. De1banco '73, assistant professor of English and American Literature, would not confirm this week that seniors in his department have encountered a tight job market, he did say that "there is a general air of anxiety about "'After Harvard, what?'" among English concentrators.

However John D. Montgomery Government Department chairman, said this week the social sciences job crunch does not appear to be hitting Harvard graduates. He noted that the low number of job offers to Government concentrators reflects that most will continue studying in graduate school this fall.