New graduates are not eager to find jobs.

China A wave of "slow employment" is growing in Shanghai, with more than a third of new university graduates not keen on finding work right away.

According to a survey of more than 4,000 new graduates in the city conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics in April, the rate of those who were “slow to find a job” was 38%. That is more than double the 16% in 2015, when the term first appeared in China, reflecting a lack of urgency among graduates in their job search.

Of those who chose “have a job,” 32% said they were continuing their education. The percentage of those who delayed their job search without a specific plan was 6%, a five-fold increase from 2015.

A job fair for graduates in Anhui province, September 2023. Photo: SCMP

The survey results come at a time when China’s job outlook is looking bleak. The unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds hit a record high, surpassing 21 percent in June.

"Slow employment does not mean unemployment. They are just discouraged workers who have decided to 'lie still'," said Wang Dan, an expert at Hang Seng Bank of China.

Wang noted that many new graduates’ families now have the financial resources to support them — what are known as “full-time” or “paid children.” But in the long run, young people cannot stay at home for too long because their parents’ pensions and resources will be limited.

A survey in Shanghai also found that after three years of online learning, new graduates lack internship experience and communication skills, which is a major challenge for them in the job market.

While young people struggle to find jobs in the hard-hit private sector, civil service positions are also extremely competitive, seen as a safe haven. Nearly 2.6 million people have registered to take the civil service exam in November, the highest number in nearly a decade. But with 37,100 spots available, each applicant will compete with nearly 6,000 others.

This year, China has 11.6 million university graduates, with Shanghai accounting for 2%. In general, the gloomy job market has caused many graduates to not go to work immediately but continue their studies for a master's degree to increase their competitiveness. Statistics up to the end of last year showed that the number of students applying to study abroad increased by more than 23% compared to 2021, with about 81% choosing to study for a master's degree.

Khanh Linh (According to SCMP)

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