By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-14 10:06:56 | Updated at 2024-11-22 02:10:29
1 week ago
There will be more fresh university graduates in China next year than ever before, according to government estimates, with the increase likely to put more pressure on the job market as the economy struggles to get back up to full steam.
Estimates released by the Ministry of Education on Thursday show that the number of university graduates would increase by 430,000 next year, reaching a record high of 12.22 million.
This year, as an estimated 11.79 million graduates flooded the job market, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds, excluding students, rose in July and August, when it reached 18.8 per cent, the highest level since the data was revised last year.
The authorities release guidelines each year to help university students find jobs, and according to a guideline published by the Ministry of Education on Thursday, companies are prohibited from specifying in job descriptions that they will only recruit graduates from top-tier universities.
But securing employment remains a challenge for fresh graduates.
