China’s graduates of 2022 face multiple employment pressures, and job-hunting is even more difficult than in 2020 at the early stage of the pandemic, reports The Global Times, citing China's Ministry of Education. Some 10.76 million students are about to leave campus this summer, an increase of 1.67 million year-on-year, hitting a new record high. Experts said graduates are tending toward "stable" job opportunities, either the civil service, state-owned-enterprises (SOEs), or going on to higher degrees amid the competitive job market. The labour market is complicated by lower demand for workers, pandemic restrictions, prominent structural contradictions and mounting anxiety among graduates. Data revealed by Chinese online recruitment services provider Zhilian Recruitment sent to the Global Times showed that to be more competitive, about 11% of postgraduates aim to pursue doctoral studies, significantly higher than the 4.3% in 2021. Meanwhile, among the 10 million graduates, only half want to work for employers, which is a lower level than in previous years. The proportion opting for self-employment increased to about 18.6%, Zhilian Recruitment data showed. Occupational choices for young Chinese are also becoming more diverse along with the emergence of new industries in China such as e-sports players, online anchors for living-streaming industry and online writers.