Chart of the Day: Students Expect to Be Paid $73 More a Month Than Employers Plan to Pay Them

A report by employment website 58.com shows that the average national monthly wage employers offer to a fresh graduate is 7,915 yuan ($1,149) — around 500 yuan less than what college students around the country expect to be paid on average.

The report said the gap between average wages and students’ expectations narrowed from last year as graduates were able to access more accurate information about salaries, and as wages have increased.

The gap between wages and students’ expectations was 1,529 yuan in Beijing, 1,381 yuan in Shanghai, 1,152 yuan in Shenzhen, 1,114 yuan in Guangzhou and 1,028 yuan in Nanjing. The students surveyed on their expectations for wages in these cities included those studying outside these cities.

Graphic: Gao Baiyu/Caixin

The survey was conducted between March and October this year through email questionnaires, WeChat and visits to campuses and employers. The survey is based on nearly 290,000 respondents from 291 universities in 60 cities and around 3,000 employers across the country.

The students surveyed were those who will graduate in 2019, 82.5% of whom are undergraduates, 15.1% postgraduates and 2.4% Ph.D. candidates.

Last week, the State Council, China’s cabinet, announced 15 measures to boost employment as recent graduates face a tough job market amid sluggish economic growth and headwinds from external trade frictions.

Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com)