The Nikkei Asia has reported a chilling job market in China as the outbreak has wreaked havoc on the country’s economy. Companies are reluctant to expand their operations and even if they are hiring, few are interested in those fresh out of school. This weaker demand comes at a time when the number of Chinese graduates is poised to hit a record high. In addition to a record number of new graduates, new degree-holders also face an uphill battle against more experienced job-seekers.
In China, campus recruitments usually are conducted on-site with company representatives going to universities to meet students, conduct writing tests and arrange face-to-face interviews. However, these practices have been disrupted this year.
Chinese companies have been moving their recruitment procedures online to cope with the disrupted hiring process while Beijing has also tried to help by encouraging companies to extend their recruitment season. Meanwhile, cities from Shenzhen to Beijing, have gradually relaxed travel restrictions and lifted bans on group gathering.
In an effort to deal with the situation, the central government in Beijing has also pledged to enroll more graduates in the military and to hire them to work at government agencies in rural China. However, one undergraduate commented:
“Those policies do help, but that help will be very limited. After all, Chinese youth are used to living in big cities and few people want to take a hard job.”
