The employment winter is getting worse: the mismatch between major and reality

Chen Ming, a history graduate student in Shanxi Province, failed to find a job in his major after graduation and eventually chose to deliver food for a living. He admitted that it would be very difficult to find a job with a history degree unless he got a teaching opportunity. His classmates and younger students also faced similar dilemmas. Most of them chose to take the civil service exam or the teacher establishment exam, but few succeeded.

Chen Ming's experience is not an isolated case, but a microcosm of the current employment difficulties of young people in China. Despite their high academic qualifications, many young people still cannot find jobs related to their majors and can only turn to physical labor or low-skilled positions. After Chen Ming was injured in a traffic accident, he became more determined to find another way out. He began to plan to go abroad, believing that the social environment and employment opportunities abroad might provide greater room for development.

Economic slump and youth unemployment dilemma

In recent years, China's economy has faced internal and external troubles, and the youth unemployment rate has remained high. Official data show that the youth unemployment rate has remained above 17% for several consecutive months. The actual data may be more severe. In 2024, 12.22 million college graduates will flood into the job market. This record high will undoubtedly make the already tense employment situation worse.

Behind the economic downturn, weak domestic demand, foreign capital withdrawal and the deterioration of the international market environment have played a role. For example, this year, international giants including Nissan Motor and IBM have reduced or closed their Chinese businesses. At the same time, China's overseas investment has continued to grow, with the total outflow reaching more than US$143 billion. This two-way pressure of "foreign capital withdrawal and domestic capital flight" has further weakened the vitality of the local job market.

Going abroad to make a living: another way for young people?

Faced with the severe employment situation in China, more and more young Chinese people are looking abroad. Data shows that from Hong Kong to the United States, from Germany to Australia, going abroad to seek development opportunities is becoming a trend. Especially highly educated talents hope to realize their own value through an international professional environment.

Chinese economic commentator Jin Shan pointed out that although there may be problems such as cultural adaptation when going abroad, overall, for many young people, going abroad is a more promising choice. However, he also pointed out that some young people are limited by the narrow thinking of nationalist education and find it difficult to truly integrate into the international market, which is also a realistic challenge that needs to be faced.

Choices for Chinese students: Stay abroad or return home?

Most Chinese students studying abroad tend to stay abroad to work after graduation. Wei Yuanlong, a student studying psychology at West Coast University in the United States, said frankly that he plans to continue to stay in the United States after graduation. He believes that although the economic environment in the United States is also under pressure, the employment competitiveness and salary level are far higher than those in China. He gave an example that as a psychiatrist, the annual salary in the first year may reach 100,000 US dollars, while the income in China is far from comparable.

Wei Yuanlong also revealed that even if some students cannot find an ideal job in the United States, they will pay fees to the agency to obtain a work visa to extend their opportunity to stay in the United States. This phenomenon reflects the distrust of Chinese students in the domestic employment market from the side.

Frequent extreme events: employment pressure causes social problems

The severe employment situation in China not only affects economic development, but also brings social problems. In recent years, extreme events caused by employment pressure and low income have occurred frequently. For example, the knife attack by a graduate of a vocational and technical college in Wuxi, Jiangsu on November 16, and the student wounding case at Guangdong University of Technology the next day, have aroused social concern about the mental health of young people.

Jinshan Analysis believes that behind such incidents is the emotional loss of control of young people under unbearable employment and life pressure. He pointed out that low wages and excessive competition have put many young people in a survival dilemma, and psychological problems have evolved into violent behavior due to the lack of effective counseling.

Possible paths to improve youth employment

Faced with the youth employment dilemma, the Chinese government has taken a series of measures, such as holding large-scale job fairs and introducing employment subsidy policies. However, targeted long-term mechanisms are still lacking. The following are some potential paths to improve youth employment:

Promote industrial transformation: increase support for emerging industries, create more high-quality jobs, and provide more development opportunities for young people.

Optimize the allocation of educational resources: adjust the professional settings of colleges and universities to meet market demand and reduce the disconnection between education and employment.

Strengthen mental health support: establish a national youth psychological support system to provide psychological counseling services for young people under employment pressure.

Promote international employment: Through policy guidance and international cooperation, expand overseas employment opportunities for young people and reduce the pressure of the domestic employment market.

Find hope in adversity

The unemployment problem of Chinese youth is a microcosm of the current social contradictions, reflecting the deep challenges of economic structural adjustment. For the younger generation, the pressure of reality is indeed huge, but choosing to go abroad, transform or start a business are all positive ways to deal with it. At the same time, all sectors of society need to work together to create a fairer and more relaxed environment for young people so that they can find more hope in employment and life.

Faced with the uncertainty of the future, every young person needs to find his own way in reality, and society and the government need to help them out of the predicament with a more inclusive and supportive attitude.