“LOWER EXPECTATIONS”
There is now a push to fill roles that “dovetail with key policy priorities” or where skills shortages exist, said Tay, like industrial upgrading and scientific innovation.
With job opportunities drying up for those holding sociology, journalism and law degrees, she said, some kind of “government-sponsored earn-as-you-learn training programmes” might be needed to fill more in-demand roles.
Near the law faculty of a top Shanghai university, final-year students said the job market was indeed tough.
“Post-pandemic, it is a little more difficult than before,” 22-year-old Qian Le said, referencing recent layoffs and pay cuts at top Chinese law firms.
“Even those who are already in jobs may not be able to keep them, so it may be more difficult for new people to get in.”
Qian and her classmate Wang Hui had both opted to pursue further study.
“The economic situation is quite sluggish, many companies have gone bankrupt, and many jobs have been reduced,” Wang told AFP.
China’s once-freewheeling private sector has slowed significantly, in part because of past government crackdowns on companies including tech giants and private tutoring firms.
Many young people are opting to study for civil service exams – seen as a more stable option – or like Wang and Qian, taking on post-graduate degrees.
In March, universities urged their students to actively look for jobs instead, said Tay.
But “competition is huge, and the number of undergraduates is gradually increasing every year”, Wang said.
Karl Hu, another law student, said the difficulty was not in finding a job.
The problem was finding “a suitable career” in terms of salary level and benefits, he explained.
He himself had secured a good job at a bank, he said – but many would have to “lower their expectations”.
