Chinese tech workers are showing greater interest in blockchain, a new survey has found, as senior officials including President Xi Jinping line up to voice support for developing the technology.

Job seekers outnumbered vacancies offered by blockchain-related companies by 7.12 times in the third quarter of 2019, according to a survey emailed to Caixin by recruitment services provider Zhaopin.com.

However, overall demand for blockchain-proficient workers weakened during the period thanks to last year’s government ban on initial coin offerings by cryptocurrency developers, the survey showed. The internet, e-commerce, and computer software sectors reported the highest demand for blockchain staff.

Employers most commonly sought software engineers, which accounted for 7.89% of total blockchain-related vacancies. Sales personnel were the second-most wanted hires. The average monthly salary for blockchain workers remained steady year-on-year at around 16,000 yuan ($2,273), the survey added.

Shenzhen posted the most robust demand for blockchain workers among first-tier cities, with 21% of total blockchain-related vacancies posted in the southern city.

The survey comes after Xi urged policymakers to promote the development of blockchain technology in a speech last month.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)

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