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| China |
| As recruitment season arrives, youth employment is in the spotlight | |
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On March 19, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security launched a recruitment campaign aiming to assist new university graduates to find employment. Set to last over two months, the campaign includes both on-site fairs and online events targeting different industries and regions. It also aims to help graduates from previous years who have yet to find employment.
The campaign encourages prospective employers to interact directly with universities, both in person and online, to offer career guidance and human resources services. The first phase, from March 19 to 29, featured over 60 activities, including offline fairs, online recruitment in the fields of medicine and health, and live-streaming on career guidance and recruitment-related policy. According to the Ministry of Education, China is expected to have 11.58 million fresh graduates this year, up 820,000 from last year and reaching a new high. Additionally, nearly 1 million new graduates of overseas institutions will return this year, making the path to ideal jobs even more competitive. The 2023 government work report highlighted the need for a more targeted promotion of youth employment, especially among college graduates. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said at a press conference on March 13 that the government will make efforts to support and assist young people to realize their potential at work. "This large number [of graduates] certainly adds pressure to employment, but if we look at it from a development perspective, these young people can inject energy and vitality into our society," he said.  Graduating college students line up to submit their applications at a job fair in Tianjin Municipality on March 25 (XINHUA)
A barometer Spring is the golden season for the Chinese to hunt for jobs, and as society and business are returning to normal after three years of COVID-19 control measures, employment fairs are bringing hope to job seekers. Shen Meng, Director of Beijing-based boutique investment bank Chanson & Co., said this recruitment season will reveal changes in the job market that occurred in the course of the pandemic and after the government has adjusted COVID-19 policies. The level of employment among university graduates is indicative of the balance between supply and demand in the wider labor market. "If those young people are able to overcome the difficulties in finding jobs that match their skills and abilities, their fresh knowledge and strong capabilities will serve society for decades to come," he told Beijing Review. A low employment rate of college students means the number of job seekers has exceeded that of vacancies, and also that graduate skills and qualifications need better alignment with the needs of employers, Shen explained, suggesting universities upgrade their curricula to better meet the evolving needs of the market. Recently, there have been discussions about whether fresh graduates are too picky. Some experts have suggested graduates land a job first instead of continuing to look for better ones while unemployed, and they can still change jobs after accumulating a few years of experience. Wang Hong, a professor at China University of Mining and Technology, told Beijing Youth Daily students should not fixate on finding jobs in big cities or high-paying jobs in specific industries. Due to the expansion of higher education in China, college graduates are no longer the rarity they were before, she said. But Shen said he believes graduates should choose their first job carefully and a decision based on compromise is not a good start for the future. "Access to promising individual development is one of the reasons for advanced education," he added.  A job fair for new graduates in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, on March 25 (XINHUA)
Multiple options The entry of Gen Z to the workforce has been accompanied by the emergence of new career options including becoming a personal healthcare manager, life organizer or pet groomer. Video editor, scriptwriter and murder mystery game designer were the top three most popular jobs, according to a report on career selection by college graduates in 2022. Wang encouraged students not to set limits on the direction of their growth as there are neither good nor bad professions, only suitable or unsuitable ones. Released by 51job.com, a leading human resources service provider, in May 2022, the report showed over 23 percent of students prefer flexible employment or starting a business. Zhu Jiandi, chief partner at accounting firm BDO China Shu Lun Pan CPAs, told Zgswcn.com that flexible options such as entrepreneurship and part-time jobs have grown into significant channels and innovative engines to expand employment. Today's society also requires a more inclusive professional environment, he said. Zhu also suggested implementing measures to better protect the rights and interests of the new graduate entrepreneurs and freelancers, and help them to avoid pitfalls such as business failure. The report of 51job.com revealed 38.3 percent of college students would like to pursue roles in state-owned enterprises, government agencies and other places offering stable jobs, followed by private enterprises, at nearly 2 percentage points lower. Private enterprises are "the significant sponge" for absorbing the labor force because they are capable of faster growth to take on more employees, Shen said. Small and medium-sized enterprises are popular with graduates, thanks to their increased flexibility and opportunity for promotion. Another reason is that recent news of large-scale layoffs by Internet giants has reduced enthusiasm for working at big firms. Shen said small and medium-sized enterprises are in need of highly skilled and capable employees, such as those laid off by the tech giants, in order to develop. However, they are unable to offer these employees the same working environment and benefits offered by their former employers. Shen said it has become necessary for many of those laid off by the tech titans to adjust their expectations and find employment where they can. (Print Edition Title: When Spring Comes) Copyedited by G.P. Wilson Comments to liqing@cicgamericas.com |
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