in China, youth unemployment is exploding and worries part of society

Increasing numbers of young graduates are leaving school and today face enormous difficulties in finding their first job. A completely new situation in China.

China has been facing since covid to a slowdown in its economy, with a new phenomenon which continues to grow: youth unemployment. And this back-to-school period is a record number of nearly 12 million new graduates arriving in the most restricted job market that China has seen in decades. Graduates therefore face enormous difficulties in finding their first job, a completely new situation in China.

In the aisles of one of the many job fairs organized in Beijing this fall, we meet this 22-year-old, who graduated in landscape architecture in June. He confides: he is not in good spirits at all.

“I tell you the truth: it’s really not easy to find a job. In my field, artificial intelligence and mechanization are increasingly replacing basic human labor. There is also the pension reform which complicates the situation of young peoplehe deciphers. At my university, only 5% of the graduates I know have found jobs. I have a lot of psychological pressure, because I live with my parents without earning my food. And my family’s economic situation is not very favorable. There, it was my father who informed me about this job fair and booked a ticket for me. I will be ready to accept a job even for 650 euros per month…”

Among the sectors most affected by unemployment is construction. Due to the real estate crisis, companies are facing a wave of defaults. And those looking for work suffer the consequences, as Linghao, 22 years old, specialized in civil engineering. “With the cooling in real estate, this sector has been shaken. There are a lot of layoffs in companies. In our department, less than 10 people have found a job! I came from Shandong Province to look for a job in Beijing, but I am very worried“, he explains.

Faced with this new phenomenon of youth unemployment, the communist regime began to take measures, such as the creation of temporary jobs in the public sector, but still insufficiently. Min, 22, arrives on the market with an accounting diploma and has the feeling of finding himself facing a wall: “We have the impression that no company is hiring… And the economy is not going to improve. I have to find a job before the end of the year, otherwise I will be dependent on my parents“, deplores the young woman.

When leaving the show, many young graduates, like this architecture student, do not hide their disappointment.

“This job fair was recommended to us by our university. I looked inside, I had printed 20 CVs, but I couldn’t find a company to distribute a single one.”

A student looking for a job

at franceinfo

These 11.8 million new graduates arrive at a time when the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds is rising sharply. It rose to 18.8% in August, the highest level since the start of the year.