University graduates from 2008 to 2014 are finding it difficult to look for jobs, according to a report from the China Youth and Children Research Center (CYCRC) released on Nov. 30.
Among the graduates of these years, 20.7 percent--excluding doctoral graduates--have not found employment yet.
According to the CYCRC, the number of graduates in towns, villages and municipalities who cannot find jobs has burgeoned. In towns, 29.1 percent of graduates cannot find jobs. On the other hand, 25.7 percent in villages and 13.2 percent in municipalities still cannot find employment despite their diplomas.
Graduates from families of high income, however, are luckier, as only 11.6 percent of them are unemployed.
The report showed that unemployed graduates' parents and grandparents are also either having a hard time securing jobs or filling only lower job positions. In contrast, graduates whose parents or grandparents are filling higher job positions are also more likely to secure a job themselves.
Aside from not being able to secure jobs, these newly graduates are also having trouble negotiating the salary they want. Most unemployed graduates have lower expectations with regard to the starting salary they should receive. Most receive approximately 3,700 yuan ($603) per month.
The report also highlighted that in 2013, almost 50 percent of children left behind by parents needing to look for work in a different city that pays better were physically harmed, which is 8-percent higher compared to the accidents involving children living with their parents. The incidents would have been avoided if the parents were at home.
Aside from being vulnerable to physical accidents, children left at home by parents working in a different city are also more prone to academic failures. The report showed that 68.7 percent of children cannot cope with the lessons without their parents tutoring them.
The report also included statistics on youth with disabilities. Among disabled youth from 15 to 35 years old, only a small figure of 26.2 percent were able to secure jobs, of which 8.3 percent are working in the farming sector.