China unveils pro-employment measures for college graduates, youths

China unveiled a raft of measures on employment support for 2025 college graduates and the youth, according to a circular released on Friday.

The circular was jointly issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Finance.

"College graduates and other youths are valuable human resources," said the circular, noting that every effort must be undertaken to provide them with employment support.

The circular stressed expanding employment opportunities through multiple channels, such as increasing market-driven job creation and stabilizing public-sector employment.

Organizations that employ 2025 graduates, graduates unemployed within two years after leaving school, or registered unemployed youth aged 16-24 are eligible for a one-off job expansion subsidy, according to the circular. This policy remains effective until December 31, 2025.

The circular said that the one-off subsidy policy for state-owned enterprises hiring graduates will extend to December 31, 2026.

The circular encourages young people to seek opportunities in grassroots sectors and supports youth entrepreneurship.

The country also aims to train 1 million graduates and youths in 2025 to improve their employability, according to the circular.

It also stressed the need to strengthen employment services and create a favorable employment environment, including launching campaigns to rectify irregularities in the human resources market.