The fear of failure: Youth employment problems in China

Abstract

Media reports about the employment situation of China's youth have been somewhat contradictory. Low unemployment rates coexist with heightened concern over this issue among China's leadership and population. The author addresses that contradiction by investigating the employment situation of young people in China and demonstrating that they complain about inadequate employment rather than about unemployment per se. In particular, tertiary education graduates, who represent approximately half of all the young people entering the Chinese labour market every year, are concerned about unsatisfying job opportunities, lower-than-expected starting salaries, and declining chances for upward mobility.