China taps big data to close graduate job gap - Borneo Post Online (2025)

Students learn about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province on March 26, 2025. — Xinhua photo

BEIJING (April 19): China will build a workforce demand database to help bridge the gap between college talent pool and the needs of employers.

The measure comes as part of the country’s latest push for high-quality, sufficient employment for the millions of graduates hitting the workforce each year.

A comprehensive, well-functioning and reliable job services network will be established within the next three to five years to support college graduates in the job market, according to new guidelines released recently.

China will also step up analysis and consultation regarding the demand for talent critical to national strategies, said the policy document from the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

This means digging into big data across innovation, industry, capital and talent chains, forecasting supply-demand trends, and updating a list of high-demand disciplines and majors to guide universities in the refinement of their programs, according to the document.

Education officials emphasised the need to pinpoint real societal demand, boost the effectiveness of education, and strive for supply-demand balance.

Addressing these pressing, real-world challenges is crucial for the education system today, they said.

“Only when what we teach matches what society needs, will graduates thrive in the job market,” said Kuang Xiaozhen, director of an employment and entrepreneurship guidance center for college students in Beijing.

In 2025, a record 12.22 million graduates — 430,000 more than last year — are expected to join the workforce. The figure has remained above 10 million for three consecutive years.

To meet this challenge, China aims to create over 12 million urban jobs in 2025, targeting a surveyed unemployment rate of 5.5 per cent. Last year, China successfully added 12.56 million urban jobs, maintaining a surveyed urban unemployment rate of 5.1 per cent.

Yet, the pressure is unlikely to lessen anytime soon. The ministry said that the surge of graduates is likely to persist for a decade, fueled by the growing availability of higher education in China.

Meanwhile, the job market itself is shifting. Industries once eager to scoop up fresh talent — internet giants, private tutoring, and real estate — are losing ground to rising sectors like new energy vehicles, semiconductors, and green technologies.

The success of DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics has ignited the ambitions of numerous startups, spurring fierce competition in fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robotics. The lavish pay packages offered by these companies have made headlines during the spring hiring season, which is now in full swing across the country.

It is estimated that China faces a workforce shortage of over five million in AI, 2.3 million in big data, over one million in new energy vehicles, and another 1 million in drone operators for the low-altitude economy, according to recent statistics.

“Industry regulators need to team up with education folks and share data to make the database full and precise,” said Kuang.

Dynamic adjustments

China will also work on supply-side fixes by pushing universities to “dynamically” adjust their programs and resources, according to the guidelines. Education quality and job placement rates will be factored into shaping university enrollment plans.

At a meeting focused on employment and other issues on March 31, Education Minister Huai Jinpeng highlighted how a database linking disciplines, programmes, market trends, and career paths could provide solid evidence for revamping academic programmes.

The minister called for forward-looking research and evaluation, real-time monitoring, and rapid detection in this process.

China plans to revamp approximately 20 per cent of its degree and diploma programmes in colleges between 2023 and 2025.

Last year alone, 1,673 new programmes aligned with national strategies were introduced, while 1,670 outdated ones were removed for failing to meet current economic and social needs.

At Sichuan Agricultural University in southwest China, an index system evaluates disciplines and programmes based on faculty strength, enrollment scores, job placement rates, and social impact.

Each year, the university distributes numerous questionnaires to employers and government agencies, using a red-and-blue warning system to guide necessary adjustments.

Disciplines and majors flagged blue for low index scores must improve within three years, while those flagged red may face phase-out by the academic degrees committee, said Wu De, president of the university.

Such dynamic adjustments are designed to sharpen students’ skills and give them a competitive edge in the job market, said experts.

The policy document also covers career guidance, recruitment services and subsidies for new job-seekers in difficulty. – Xinhua