Chinese Officials Worry About Post-Grad Unemployment

Pushed by the prospect of having more than 1.5 million unemployed college grads, Chinese officials have increased spending and reinforced programs to help the twenty-somethings find jobs.

Unemployment for recent grads is currently at 12%, says the government statistics. That is nearly triple the overall unemployment rate for December, which was 4.2 percent, the highest it has been in five years.

China’s State Council announced that they would put finding jobs for new grads at the top of their priorities.

Mayor of Shanghai, Han Zheng, announced a job stimulus package this month that will help 213,000 new graduates pay for vocational training as well as help them in setting up internships where jobs cannot be found.

The Education Ministry announced a new recruitment campaign that, they say, will help graduates pay off their student loans.

The government would like to see internet savvy college grads help farmers better their administrative practices.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping said, “We need more grass-roots officials who have close connections with ordinary people, who can lead farmers to get rich and make the countryside more stable, urgently.”

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