Abstract:

Under China's strategic framework of integrated advancement in education, science and technology, and human resources, the employment of engineering graduates serves as a critical link connecting talent, technology, and industry. Based on the data from Chinese College Graduates Employment Survey (2009—2025), this study conducts a multidimensional post-stratification weighting analysis of engineering graduates and finds that their employment settlement rate followed a fluctuating pattern of first rising and then falling, peaking at 89.3% in 2017 before declining to 72.6% in 2025. Institutional employment consistently remained the dominant post-graduation destination, while the proportion pursuing further education peaked at 30.4% in 2021 and then declined. In terms of employment quality, engineering graduates exhibited a pattern of sustained improvement followed by a phase of adjustment: the nominal starting salary of institutionally employed engineering graduates reached 5,497 yuan in 2023 before falling to 5,036 yuan in 2025, while the proportion reporting job satisfaction rose to 81.4% in 2019 and then dropped to 74.2% in 2025. With regard to employment structure, manufacturing remained a major sector for engineering graduates, while construction; the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water; and information transmission, software, and information technology services consistently ranked among the leading industries. State-owned enterprises and private enterprises were the principal employers, and professional and technical personnel remained the predominant occupational category. Spatially, employment was concentrated mainly in eastern China, while the shares absorbed by central and western China became more balanced, and the proportion employed in county-level and below grassroots locations increased. Overall, major-job matching and skill matching remained relatively high, and job preferences gradually shifted toward a balance between developmental considerations and concerns for stability. School type, educational attainment, and the alignment between major and interest are identified as crucial factors influencing engineering graduates’ employment outcomes.

Key words: engineering graduates, employment trends, post-graduation destination, employment quality, employment structure