Shanghai / Grads struggle to find good job

A majority of university and college students set to graduate in the city next month are still looking for a job due to the grim employment situation.

Only 29 percent of 178,000 students who are to graduate this June have signed an offer, been admitted to postgraduate studies or decided to study abroad as of last month, according to the Shanghai Student Affairs Center.

The percentage was up 4 percent from March but down 3 percent year-on-year, even though the number of graduates is about the same as last year, the center said.

The center attributed the poor employment prospects for graduates mainly on the recovering economy, adding that the number of available positions declined from the past two years.

Some industries, especially manufacturing and foreign trade, have either suffered a downturn or are in a transition, making it especially difficult for students who majored in those fields.

In order to get a job, some students lowered their salary expectations while others accepted a position in a different industry.

“I would take a job as long as the salary is 3,000 yuan (US$488) a month,” said a student majoring in printing art design at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

via University seniors struggle to find good job – People’s Daily Online.