Chinese graduates’ salaries have fallen for the second year in a row, according to a large-scale survey, as a glut of degree-holders grows thanks to a massive expansion of higher education.
A record 8m Chinese graduates are due to join the labour force this year, just under half of all workforce entrants and up from about 4m just a decade ago. China has opened hundreds of new universities over the period, while a growing number of parents expect their children to attend university.
But as China’s economy has slowed, average monthly salaries for new graduates fell 16 per cent to Rmb4,014 ($590) this year, the second consecutive year of declines, according to a survey by recruitment website Zhaopin.com.