‘Zero cases’ aim back in China, now for graduate unemployment

With a record-breaking number of graduates facing another tough year of job hunting in China, authorities are increasing pressure on institutions to help their students find work and looking again at policies that might be harming recruitment.

In an action plan published at the end of May, the education department for Henan Province said institutions should follow a strategy akin to China’s zero-Covid policy – known as “dynamic zero-case” – but aimed at eradicating all cases of graduate unemployment instead.

The directive did not specify what universities would be required to do to achieve the goal but it is believed actions will include steps such as organising career fairs and asking universities to match specific positions with students.

The plan was prepared in response to the calling of a nationwide “100-day sprint” by the Chinese Ministry of Education to boost the graduate employment rate.

This followed another measure aimed at streamlining the job search for university graduates. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China announced it had stopped requiring graduates to use the “registration card”, a system that logs graduates’ job records after leaving universities.

Students had complained that the card – a relic from the days when university graduates were given jobs automatically under the planned economy – complicated the graduation procedure because it required travelling to different offices in different cities to obtain the documentation.

Dian Liu, associate professor in the Department of Media and Social Sciences at the University of Stavanger, said the measures represented “progress” in the government’s efforts to simplify working processes for graduates and facilitate graduate employment.

The country had experienced a harsh graduate employment situation in recent years, especially since the pandemic, which is not yet seen as over in China, she said.

Nearly 20 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds are not working, according to government figures published in March, with universities being partly blamed for the situation.

It has been reported that the number of university graduates in China is estimated to reach 11.58 million this year, another peak after it surpassed 10 million for the first time last year.

The tough reality has led to government pressure on both institutions and industries, including the mandatory requirement for vice-chancellors to visit companies in person. Experts have also called for institutions to adjust the design of their programmes to cater for students’ job prospects.

Although she welcomed the new policies, Dr Liu called for “other supporting measures at the local level”: for example, looking at the country’s household registration system, which she said “restricts the mobility of graduates and young job seekers” to move away from home while looking for work. 

“I look forward to measures breaking the restrictions, especially for those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.” she added.

“As well as measures to promote opportunities for female graduates and gender equality, in nexus with the many male-oriented or male-prioritised social norms in society.”

karen.liu@timeshighereducation.com