Seek truth from facts and speak with facts.
A set of data was crawled, and in 2024, 11.79 million college graduates nationwide, reaching a historical high.
However, the employment rate is not optimistic. According to data released by Zhaopin, the proportion of graduates 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 temporary unemployment. The total of the two is 32.8% in 2024, excluding students currently in school according to Caixin's statistics in March.
The number of postgraduate candidates is 4.38 million, showing a decrease for the first time since 2015, with 360,000 fewer 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. Not being able to find a job was attributed to one's own inadequate education, so everyone pursued higher degrees. The number of postgraduate candidates has been increasing year by year, but now it is discovered that the situation has changed.
The reasons behind this are not unrelated to the current overall environment. Companies are downsizing to reduce costs and increase efficiency, and there simply aren't enough positions available for these highly educated talents. Postgraduates are also unlikely to take off their academic gowns to work as a Didi driver or deliver food.
Junior college students prioritize having a job first, and whether it is their ideal job or has good salary benefits is secondary. Job stability is more important.
In addition, entering state-owned enterprises and government agencies has become the most anticipated employment direction for many people, which is why the number of postgraduate candidates is decreasing while the number of civil service exam candidates 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 as high a salary as the internet industry. At least, they won't face layoffs, won't have a 996 work schedule, and their workplace won't suddenly shut down.
In 2024, the number of candidates for the national college entrance examination was 13.53 million, 20 million higher than this year's graduates, indicating that the employment situation in the coming years will still be challenging.