Abstract:

Based on ten national survey data sets on Chinese college graduates’ employment status from 2003 to 2021, this paper conducts empirical analysis on employment characteristics and trend of Chinese college graduates. The main conclusions are as follows. First, from the perspective of graduation destination, the proportion of formal employment has reached a new low level, while the proportion of further education continues to rise. The placement rate has declined, and the unemployment rate has rebounded. The placement rates of graduates with different educational levels tends to converge. Second, from the perspective of employment quality, the higher the graduates’ education level, the higher the starting salary and the faster the salary grows. There is a L-shaped downward trend in relative starting salary. Nearly 50% of graduates have lower starting salaries than expected. Employment satisfaction is on a fluctuating upward trend. Third, from the perspective of employment structure, the employment proportion in large and medium-sized cities exceeds 80%. The employment proportion of private enterprises has jumped to first place. The employment proportion of enterprises increases at the beginning and then decreases, which exceeds 50%. Career types shift from homogenization towards diversification, then back to homogenization. The education industry has become the preferred choice for graduates. Fourth, from the perspective of employment matching, the proportion of education-job match first decreases and then increases, exceeding 70%. The proportion of major-job mismatch is about 40%. Fifth, from the perspective of job-searching status, schools are the main source of job-searching information. The number of job applications has not gradually increased over time, and some graduates have obtained job opportunities but do not accept. Expenses on human relationship, transportation and clothing are the three major job-searching expenses. Ability is the most important factor that affects employment outcomes. Graduates have stable career intentions, attaching importance to prospects and income.

Key words: employment trends, college graduates, employment status, job-searching status