Job fair highlights Shenyang's appeal

Photo shows a view of a job fair of the 2026 Northeast Asia (Shenyang) Conference on Exchange of Professionals and AI-Empowered Industrial Development Conference at the Industrial Museum of China in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province on Oct. 17, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Xiao Yuan)

Zhao Ying, a recruitment supervisor at AVIC SAC Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd., finally had a chance to eat lunch at a job fair in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, at 3 p.m. on Oct. 17. She had been talking with applicants nonstop since 8:30 a.m.

"I never expected so many talented people to show up," she said, holding a thick stack of résumés.

The job fair opened that day at the Industrial Museum of China in the city, as part of the 2026 Northeast Asia (Shenyang) Conference on Exchange of Professionals and AI-Empowered Industrial Development Conference. A total of 2,627 employers offered 56,000 jobs. For the first time, the event also attracted foreign-funded companies from countries and regions including Germany, the Netherlands and France, as well as firms from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

A strong industrial base is key to attracting talent. Job seekers lined up at the booth of Neusoft Corporation, a Shenyang-based information technology company. The company is recruiting AI professionals worldwide, including specialists in healthcare and automotive algorithms, edge computing, wearable devices and industrial intelligence, said Song Qingjun, the company's human resources director.

Photo shows a view of a job fair of the 2026 Northeast Asia (Shenyang) Conference on Exchange of Professionals and AI-Empowered Industrial Development Conference at the Industrial Museum of China in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province on Oct. 17, 2026.  (People's Daily Online/Xiao Yuan)

Shenyang's continued investment in computing power and improvements to its infrastructure give the company confidence. Favorable policies, such as the "Xingshen Talent Plan" to boost talent attraction and development, as well as companies' authority to assess talent independently, also give firms more flexibility in recruitment, said Song.

Competitive pay is another attraction. Among the positions on offer at the job fair, 13,000 pay monthly salaries of more than 10,000 yuan (about $1,500), while over 6,500 offer more than 20,000 yuan. Meanwhile, 3,200 positions offer annual salaries exceeding 300,000 yuan, and over 900 pay more than 500,000 yuan.

The main venue received 26,000 visitors, generating a combined 79,000 recruitment discussions and résumé submissions. 11,000 preliminary employment intentions were reached on site. Data from a national platform for college graduate employment show that Shenyang's young talent return rate reached 260 percent over the past three years, and 79,000 college graduates have chosen to work and settle in the city this year.

Photo shows a view of a job fair of the 2026 Northeast Asia (Shenyang) Conference on Exchange of Professionals and AI-Empowered Industrial Development Conference at the Industrial Museum of China in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province on Oct. 17, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Xiao Yuan)

Photo shows a view of a job fair of the 2026 Northeast Asia (Shenyang) Conference on Exchange of Professionals and AI-Empowered Industrial Development Conference at the Industrial Museum of China in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province on Oct. 17, 2026.  (People's Daily Online/Xiao Yuan)