As China's class of 2025 prepares to step into a shifting labor market, the government has unveiled a sweeping employment push aimed at helping a record 12.22 million college graduates find their footing.
Key pillars of the plan include:
- Expanding job channels: From village-level fairs to national online platforms, authorities are casting a wide net.
- Targeted subsidies: One-time hiring incentives now cover private firms, small-to-medium businesses, and social organizations.
- Skills upgrade: Over 2,600 “micro-major” programs and 1,100 training courses prepare students for emerging sectors like AI, healthcare, and green tech.
- Digital matchmaking: The revamped national platform uses AI and big-data tools to host online fairs and post 20 million job openings.
At a recent recruitment fair at Guangxi Medical University in the southern Chinese mainland, more than 100 employers from the public and private sectors set up booths across health care, AI, and education.
“Large fairs like this help us engage directly with employers,” says Huang Chenxi, a final-year student eyeing an administrative role in a hospital.
Since 2022, when graduations first topped 10 million, the graduate pool has swelled by over a million each year. Authorities have stepped in with localized drives like the “100 counties for 100 universities” campaign, bridging information gaps and bringing opportunities closer to campus.
Regional highlights:
- Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang Province on the Chinese mainland hosted an event offering 7,000 positions.
- Nanning in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the Chinese mainland connected 15,000 jobs with candidates.
- Jilin Province assigned 69 HR officials to support local universities with tailored career guidance.
“New industries and economic models are injecting fresh vitality into China's economy,” notes Wang Peng, associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.
Backed by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education has organized 1,124 special fairs and unlocked 1.1 million targeted vacancies for underprivileged grads. An ongoing online campaign links research assistant posts and live-streamed job fairs through August.
Together, these measures reflect the Chinese government's commitment to helping graduates move from classrooms to careers and ensuring their talents find the opportunities they deserve.
Reference(s):
China rolls out sweeping employment push for 2025 college graduates
cgtn.com
