China jobs: new energy, automation sectors shine as employment growth belies broader economic downturn
- Increased hiring in industrial automation seen reflecting digitisation trend across all industries, with an emphasis on green growth
- New survey data by Zhilian Zhaopin recruitment platform shows how more young people have been gravitating towards emerging industries in China
Recruitment in automation and new energy is outshining other sectors in China, with robust performances at a time when Beijing is steering growth toward digital and green industries, and the findings come as the broader job market is under pressure amid a slow economic recovery.
The number of jobs posted in the new-energy industry grew by 36 per cent in the first half of last year, compared with the same period a year prior, while job postings in industrial automation grew by 7 per cent, according to a report published last month by Zhilian Zhaopin, an online recruitment platform in China.
“It’s worth noting that … the hiring growth in industrial automation is not only an indicator of the robust development in advanced manufacturing, it also reflects the popular trend of digitisation across all industries,” the report said.
Resilient job demands in the sectors sharply contrast the difficulties faced by many jobseekers in China, as the private sector, China’s major job creator, has largely cut investment amid dwindling profits and dimming hopes of a quick economic turnaround.
According to the Zhilian report, the demand for technical positions in the new-energy industry was especially prominent. For instance, the number of recruitment positions for windpower engineers increased by 738 per cent, year on year.