Final answer:
Only half of college graduates have a salaried job within the first year of graduating. Option a is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
However, the provided reference states that only 27 percent of college graduates have a job related to their major after graduating. This statistic does not directly answer the question regarding having any salaried job within the first year after college.
In the context of overall employment rather than field-specific employment, it's important to recognize that various factors such as economic conditions, differences among fields of study, and level of degree can significantly influence the employment outcomes for recent graduates.
It is also noted that a substantial portion of college students may not secure salaried employment immediately and are considered part of a different category of unemployed as they start their job search.
Option a is correct.