China's College Graduates Begin Job-hunting

　　This year's job-hunting season is getting underway and it is being dubbed¹ "the toughest ever in history" for recent university graduates.

 

　　Around seven million students have graduated from higher education institutions this year, a record high for China.

 

　　However, this increase comes at a time when employers are cutting down on recruitment.

 

　　CRI's Zhou Heyang has more:

 

　　Starting from July 1st, an employment stimulation² program targeting unemployed³, fresh university graduates kicks off in full scale. It encourages graduates to get registered with the public recruitment service database which is upheld on a public community service platform. Here, graduates can also receive hiring information and employment instruction.

 

　　Wang Rong, Vice⁴ Division Chief at the Department of Human Resources and Social Security, says the program also provides financial aid to unemployed recent graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds.

 

　　"The standard amount of subsidy⁵ provided is 8 hundred to one thousand Yuan. Universities in all regions are distributing the fund to those who are going through such hardship."

 

　　The country's policy-makers have been urging for every measure to be taken to help China's new graduates gain employment, including creating more community-level jobs, recruiting for the military and promoting entrepreneurship.

 

　　But some companies, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, are still complaining about how difficult it is to attract university graduates. Here a human resource manager for a small-sized private enterprise in Guangdong speaks on such difficulties.

 

　　"We need to hire lots of people, but we are finding it extremely difficult to find possible candidates. We are worried. See, I only received 2 resumes this morning."

 

　　Despite the fact that the starting salary in low- medium-sized enterprises can eventually offer salaries as high as the larger ones; however, graduates appear to show little interest. They don't seem to be willing to invest their time to grow with the company. Instead, according to Guo Sheng, CEO of recruitment company Zhaopin, says graduates are inclined to send job applications to companies with a more recognizable names, even when they sometimes offer less pay.

 

　　Another trend, if not problem, for graduates who can't find jobs is that they are prone⁶ to seek job opportunities in first-tier cities whereas more opportunities are actually to be found elsewhere. Ming Hong, Division Chief at the Department of Human Resources and Social Security explains:

 

　　"The eastern areas of the country are currently seeing a similar number of job vacancies⁷ as last year. There is little fluctuation⁸ in this regard, whereas the demand for workers in the middle and Western parts of the country is on a sharp rise."

 

　　The wage level in middle and Western China is not far behind that of the traditionally more economic prosperous Eastern regions at the moment. Conversely, living expenses and competition is often much lower than that in Eastern regions.

 

　　Experts say the toughest job-seeking season reflects the fact that the overall job market is shrinking this year. Yang Lin, director of the career guidance center at Beijing Technology and Business University, believes it is the result of the sluggish⁹ world economy and tempered domestic growth. New openings at many large state-owned enterprises have also declined this year.

 

　　The problem is further complicated as many fresh graduates are fixated only on jobs in the civil service, public institution or state-owned enterprises where they see a more stable prospect¹⁰ than private companies.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Zhou Heyang.

1 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 stimulation   

n.刺激，激励，鼓舞

参考例句：

• The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
• You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。

3 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

6 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

7 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 fluctuation   

n.(物价的)波动，涨落；周期性变动；脉动

参考例句：

• The erratic fluctuation of market prices are in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
• Early and adequate drainage is essential if fluctuation occurs.有波动感时，应及早地充分引流。

9 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

10 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。