Seek truth from facts and speak with facts.
A set of data was crawled, and the scale of national college graduates reached 11.79 million in 2024, reaching a historical high.
However, the employment rate is not optimistic. According to data released by Zhaopin, the proportion of those who have secured employment is 55.5%, a decrease of 2 percentage points from last year.
The so-called slow employment and freelance work, you understand, can be understood as temporarily without a fixed job (unemployment). The total of the two is 32.8% in 2024, and the statistics given by Caixin in March do not include students still in school.
The number of postgraduate applicants is 4.38 million, showing a decrease for the first time since 2015, with 360,000 fewer applicants than last year. The reason can be seen from this year's employment rate.
This year's data shows that the employment rate for junior college graduates is 56%, higher than both undergraduate and postgraduate students, while the employment rate for master's and doctoral students is only 44.4%.
This set of data overturns our previous understanding. Previously, it was believed that the higher the education level, the better the employment prospects. The inability to find a job was attributed to one's own education level, so everyone pursued higher degrees. The number of postgraduate applicants increased year by year, but now it is discovered that the situation has changed.
The reason lies in the current overall environment. Companies are reducing costs and increasing efficiency through layoffs, and there simply aren't enough positions available for these highly educated talents. Postgraduates are also unlikely to take off their academic gowns to drive for Didi or deliver food.
Junior college graduates prioritize having a job first. Whether it is their ideal job or whether the salary is good is secondary; job stability is more important.
Furthermore, entering state-owned enterprises and government agencies has become the most anticipated employment direction for many. This is also why the number of postgraduate applicants is decreasing while the number of civil service exam applicants is skyrocketing.
At the end of the universe is the establishment, and at the end of the establishment is the civil servant. There are three unfilial acts, and not being in the establishment is the biggest. Being a civil servant has become an ideal career for many, despite possibly not having the high salaries of the internet industry. At least they won't face layoffs, won't have a 996 work schedule, and their workplace won't suddenly close down.
The national college entrance examination enrollment in 2024 was 13.53 million, 200 million higher than this year's graduates, indicating that the employment situation in the coming years will still be challenging.