Editorial: Don’t Blame China’s Jobless Youth Problem on the Surge in New Graduates

Employment is the foundation of people’s livelihoods and is crucial for economic growth and ensuring stability in society. In recent years, one graduation season after another has been called the “toughest” in recent memory — and 2023’s is no exception. The Ministry of Education has forecast that 11.58 million students will graduate from China’s colleges and universities this year, more than 800,000 more than in 2022, an all-time high. If you add in the nearly 1 million students returning from overseas, the total number of fresh graduates this year could surpass 12.5 million — putting significant pressure on the job market.