For the Class of 2009, the news on the job front remains grim. Newly minted college graduates are facing 40% fewer job prospects, according to a recent study from Michigan State University. With the national unemployment rate topping 10%, the outlook appears anything but rosy. However, before throw up your hands in despair, plop back on the couch and grab the remote, read on – there are some hopeful signs.

“Things fell apart really fast last year, but it looks like the job market for graduates has hit a bottom,” observes the director of MSU’s survey. While the survey does not predict a rapid ‘bounce back’ in hiring, there are indications that the job crisis is leveling off with new opportunities on the employment horizon.

Where are these jobs? Location, location, location. Predictions for a growth in job opportunities include the northwest, the southwest and south central states. Unfortunately, the reverse is projected in the eastern states, the Great Lakes region and the upper plains.

And who is doing the hiring? The answer here may surprise you – smaller companies seem to be poised to begin more aggressive hiring campaigns than large and medium sized corporations. And according to the report, at least a third of these employers less concerned with a job candidate’s major, than their potential to be an asset to the corporate environment.

“Employers want to be much more flexible,” the report’s director observes. “They want skill sets that they can plug in anywhere as the they evolve instead of getting stuck with someone focused in one area.” However, he goes on to observe that opportunities in environmental science and statistics are encouraging. “There is a reawakening in American society that environment sustainability is important, and there’s also a lot of stimulus money in that area,” he said, adding that the increase opportunities for statisticians is because they are “quantitatively literate and companies are looking to tap into people that can manipulate and understand numbers.”

More job opportunities are projected in agricultural production and food processing, manufacturing and in the not-for-profit sector. In addition, health care and education show solid growth. Consulting services, including engineering, computer technologies, research and marketing, are predicted to hold steady.

Now for the big question – what can you expect to earn? Signing bonuses and performance-based bonuses are scarce, however the average yearly salary for a recent graduate with a bachelor’s is $39,900. That may not be a fortune, but it is a good start. So what are you waiting for? Let Top-Colleges be your guide and find a bachelor’s program that will put your career on track.