China’s 2025 college graduates are expected to reach a record high of 12.22 million, an increase of 430,000 compared to last year, bringing attention once again to the issue of youth unemployment.
On November 14th, the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security jointly held a working meeting to deploy the employment and entrepreneurship work for the 2025 college graduates. According to statistics, the expected scale of 2025 college graduates nationwide is 12.22 million, an increase of 430,000 compared to the previous year.
Compared to the over 8.7 million college graduates in 2020, the scale of graduates in 2025 is expected to increase by nearly 40%, while the scale of the 2024 college graduates was 11.79 million.
This news quickly sparked discussions online, with youth unemployment once again becoming a hot topic of public concern.
Renowned headline author and Weibo influencer “Thoughtful Discourse” commented, “The massive employment force not only puts pressure on individuals but also on society as a whole.”
Education blogger and Weibo influencer “Athena’s Spear and Shield” quipped, “In the current context, junior college students transferring to regular colleges, and undergraduate students taking postgraduate exams, are undoubtedly important ways to alleviate the current employment pressure. Not pursuing further education nor entering the workforce is not a good choice.”
“Teacher Yi Feng” from Henan Yifeng Educational Consulting Co., Ltd. expressed, “China’s rampant degree inflation will lead to many problems.”
Professional investor and Weibo influencer “Nianfu” directly shared statistics related to youth unemployment rates: “In September, the urban youth labor force aged 16 to 24, excluding students, had an unemployment rate of 17.6%. This rate dropped to 13.2% in June, rose to 17.1% in July, and further increased to 18.8% in August. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security jointly held a working meeting on Thursday (November 14th), reporting that the expected scale of 2025 college graduates nationwide is 12.22 million, an increase of 430,000 compared to the previous year.”