China still faces structural employment issues and overall pressure on jobs has not eased, Reuters reports, citing the country’s human resources minister. It comes as the slowing economy braces for another record number of college graduates in 2024. HR minister Wang Xiaoping said the country’s job market has seen a good start this year, particularly in the artificial intelligence and big data segments, adding that 32,000 job fairs have been held so far. However, Xiaoping told authorities she will strengthen policy support to improve youth employment and help small private firms and added that China could see 11.79 million college graduates this year.

While China's gross domestic product grew 5.2% last year and is forecasted to ‘expand around 5%’ in 2024, according to the government, headline indicators have tended to underplay the tension in its vast job market, especially among young people, including the millions of college graduates seeking work each year. More than one in five of the roughly 100 million Chinese aged 16 to 24 were unemployed in June 2023, the latest figure before statistics bureau officials abruptly suspended the series.

Authorities are under pressure to create enough jobs, particularly as ever more college graduates chase a shrinking pool of white-collar jobs in a weak economy after the Covid-19 pandemic. China has tried to steer them to vocational and technical jobs, but lack of skilled talent remains a hurdle for the sector. Xiaoping said China needs to spur young people to acquire technical skills and work in factories, in its efforts to nurture talent.