Graduating in a recession shouldn't be a curse

As if graduating into a sour job market, with record levels of education and credit card debt isn't enough, the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports that members of the class of 2009 who do get a job will be cursed by low starting salaries for years to come.

Based on past data, classes that graduate when unemployment is higher than 5.7% have a tough time recovering from the drastically reduced starting salary they agreed to just to get a first job.

What difference does a year and a 3% rise in unemployment potentially mean for recent graduates? According to the research presented in the Wall Street Journal, it could mean up to $100,000 over an 18-year period.