China unveils measures to help graduate job seekers

BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Wednesday unveiled a package of policy measures to promote the employment of college graduates and other young groups.

A major step is the combination of one-off employment subsidies with one-off job expansion allowances, awarding employers that hire qualified college graduates and registered unemployed youth, according to a circular released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Finance.

The allowance will be available through Dec. 31, 2025.

The circular said that advanced manufacturing is one of the key industries for youth employment. An action plan will be carried out to help young people land jobs in this sector, including organizing vocational experience activities.

In addition, an internship recruitment plan will be implemented, which will support enterprises, government-invested projects and public institutions in offering internship opportunities. In 2024 and 2025, the plan aims to recruit at least 1 million internship posts per year.

Over 11.7 million college students are due to graduate in China this year. The 2024 government work report said, "We must do more to promote employment for young people, and provide better guidance and services to help them secure jobs or start businesses."

In early June, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security launched a 100-day recruitment campaign aimed at providing more than 10 million jobs to recent college graduates.