China’s overseas graduates return in record numbers into already crowded domestic job market
- The number of overseas-trained talent known as ‘haigui’, or sea turtles, have been returning to work in China in increasing numbers over the last few years
- This year, around 65 per cent studied in the US, Britain or Australia, with 60 per cent holding at least a master’s degree, but are being forced to return to China
Over 800,000 Chinese students who recently graduated from overseas universities have returned home this year, more than ever before, adding to an already crowded domestic job market.
The number of students increased by 70 per cent from 2019 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and tightening immigration and employment rules overseas, a survey released last week by the online career development platform UniCareer showed.
New graduates now face greater competition in China’s employment market, given the impact of the coronavirus and the resulting economic slowdown on the number of new jobs available.
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The Shanghai cafe helping China’s underprivileged and disabled stand on their own two feet
Of newly returned students, around 28.6 per cent studied in the United States, 26.3 per cent in Britain and 13.2 per cent in Australia, with over 60 per cent holding at least a master’s degree.