Advice for College Graduates Going to China: Avoid Setting Unrealistic Goals

The president of Chongqing Metropolitan College of Science and Technology in China delivered a rather uninspiring message to college grads in his commencement speech. He advised them to not aim too high or be too picky about work, citing the fleeting nature of opportunities. This revelation is part of a comprehensive article by the New York Times, which explores the challenging employment landscape for Chinese college graduates. Two contrasting statistics shed light on the issue: China’s graduating class this year, consisting of 11.6 million students, is the largest in history, and the unemployment rate for young adults hit a record high of 21.3% in June. The South China Morning Post anticipates further increases for July and August.

It’s noteworthy that the current youth unemployment rate in China, particularly for individuals up to the age of 24, hasn’t been this dire since the 1970s, as reported by the SCMP. What’s more, experts predict that significant improvement is unlikely for at least another decade. The publication highlights the extent of the problem by revealing that college administrators, who are incentivized based on job placement figures, are now resorting to manipulating data and pressuring students to fabricate job offers. As a result, the Ministry of Education has dispatched a team of inspectors across the country to crack down on this deceitful practice.

CNN further underscores this issue in a related article. They highlight a new social trend among Chinese individuals in their 20s, dubbed “full-time sons and daughters.” This term emerged on the popular social media platform Douban last year and has since gained traction, with tens of thousands of young Chinese adults identifying themselves as such. The concept involves these individuals returning home to support their elderly parents in various ways in exchange for a modest salary. (Read more China stories.)