China’s AI Talent Supply Outpaces Demand, Survey Shows
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China’s hiring market showed signs of recovery in the second half of 2025, led by a surge in artificial-intelligence (AI) jobs, though competition for roles has intensified as job seekers flood into the fast-growing sector, according to a new report released Monday.
Newly posted jobs in “new economy” industries including internet services, big data, cloud computing and AI began to exceed year-earlier levels from June, the report by Chinese job hunting platform Maimai's think tank said. AI hiring accelerated sharply, with new postings hitting a record high in September and jumping more than elevenfold from a year earlier.
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- China’s hiring market recovered in H2 2025, with AI job postings rising over 544% year-on-year and applications up 672%, intensifying competition.
- The AI sector shifted to a supply-heavy market, with more applicants than jobs for the first time; AI roles now offer a monthly average salary of 61,764 yuan ($8,760).
- Fintech, internet platforms, and smart hardware are leading AI job demand, with ByteDance posting the most new AI jobs.
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Who’s Who
- Maimai
- **Maimai** is a Chinese job hunting platform. Its think tank released a report indicating that China's hiring market, particularly in "new economy" industries like AI, showed signs of recovery in the second half of 2025. Maimai's data highlighted a significant surge in AI job postings but also intensified competition among job seekers in the sector.
- ByteDance Ltd.
- ByteDance Ltd. (字节跳动有限公司) posted the largest number of new AI jobs from January to October 2025, significantly outpacing its competitors.
- Xiaohongshu
- Xiaohongshu (小红书) was among the top five companies that posted the largest number of new AI jobs. This indicates its significant involvement in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence sector within China.
- Ant Group Co. Ltd.
- Ant Group Co. Ltd. (蚂蚁集团有限公司) is among the top five companies that posted the largest number of new AI jobs, according to a report by Chinese job hunting platform Maimai's think tank. It was outpaced by ByteDance Ltd. but ranked higher than Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd.
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is among the top five companies that posted the largest number of new AI jobs. This indicates their significant engagement in the growing artificial-intelligence sector within China's "new economy" industries.
- Tencent Holdings Ltd.
- Tencent Holdings Ltd. was among the top five companies with the largest number of new AI job postings. They were outpaced by ByteDance Ltd. Additionally, alongside Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Ant Group Co. Ltd., and Xiaohongshu, Tencent rounded out the top five for AI job postings.
- Zhaopin Ltd.
- Zhaopin Ltd. is a job platform in China. Data from Zhaopin Ltd. indicated that AI-related hiring increased by 11% year-on-year in the third quarter. This growth was particularly strong for algorithm engineers, data-labeling specialists, and AI product managers.
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What Happened When
- 2025：
- The ratio of applicants to jobs in AI climbed above 1, indicating more job seekers than available AI positions.
- For three consecutive years as of 2025：
- AI salaries held above 60,000 yuan a month.
- January 2025 to October 2025：
- The talent supply-demand ratio in new economy sectors rose to a record 2.23.
- January 2025 to October 2025：
- ByteDance Ltd. posted the largest number of new AI jobs.
- First 10 months of 2025：
- AI job postings rose nearly 544% year-on-year; applications surged nearly 672%.
- First 10 months of 2025：
- Nontechnical roles such as product management, legal, finance, and marketing began to constitute about 17% of AI postings, compared to 12% in 2024.
- First 10 months of 2025：
- New AI roles offered an average monthly salary of 61,764 yuan.
- June 2025：
- Newly posted jobs in 'new economy' industries, including AI, began to exceed year-earlier levels.
- Third quarter of 2025：
- AI-related hiring rose 11% year-on-year, as shown by Zhaopin Ltd.'s data.
- September 2025：
- AI hiring postings hit a record high and jumped more than elevenfold from a year earlier.
- December 15, 2025：
- Report on China’s hiring market recovery released by Maimai's think tank.
AI generated, for reference only
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