Graduating this year? Worried about finding the perfect job onceyou get out of school?

Chances are staying in San Diego after graduation will producebetter opportunities.

According to economics professor Ed Balson, San Diego’s economyhas fared much better against the recession than other parts of thecountry.

Why?

There are several reasons. One of them is the diversifiedindustrial mix in San Diego. This includes the various ethnic groupsthat live in San Diego, as well as the different skills that the SanDiegan workforce encompasses. Also, the Sept. 11 attacks increasedmilitary spending — one of the major contributors to the localeconomy.

Since early last year, the economy has steadily declined. Theterrorist attacks shocked the nation even more and the nation slippedinto a recession.

For many students, this uncertain economy is alarming. Where as,in the past, the amount of job opportunities available almost equaledthe amount of university students graduating, now students across thenation are bracing for a competition they didn’t expect to face.

It is estimated that seniors can expect a job market as much as 13percent smaller than last year.

According to the University of San Diego Index of Leading EconomicIndicators, the unemployment rate in San Diego rose from 2.4 percentat the end of 2000 to 3.3 percent this past December.

In comparison, Los Angeles and San Francisco have both seen theirunemployment rate rise above 5 percent. The national rate stands at5.6 percent as of January.

This could be the reason why some students, like internationalbusiness senior Monica Houser, are not worried about finding a jobonce they get out of school.

“If I look hard enough, I will find something that I want to do,”Houser said.

On the other hand, there are students who feel that even if thereis a recession, it won’t be enough to keep them from getting the jobthey want.

Julio Diaz, a Latin American studies senior who wants to become ateacher, is one of them.

“I am not worried about getting a job in education because thereis always a need for teachers,” he said.

Balson recommends students not stress about finding the perfectjob once they get out of college. A recession, he said, is all partof a business cycle.

“Recessions come and go,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world.Things will turn around.”

Balson also advises graduating seniors to look for jobs thatgenuinely interest themn