Examinees enter an examination site at Beihang University in Beijing, capital of China, December 26, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

Record number of Chinese students and job-seekers are expected to flock to China's 2023 national entrance exams for postgraduate studies in face of heightened competition for jobs, exceeding 5 million most likely. 

Since National Education Examinations Authority opened the country's 2023 postgraduate admission exam registration on Saturday, multiple agencies predicted more than 5 million people will seek to sign up for the postgraduate exam, continuing the year-on-year increasing trend which started in 2017. 

Over the years the number of applicants sitting the national postgraduate entrance exam has increased continuously, from 2.01 million in 2017 to 4.57 million in 2022, an increase of 127.4 percent. The number of applicants for 2023 national entrance exam for post-graduate studies is expected to be even higher, data showed. 

In 2022, more than 4.57 million people sat the postgraduate exam, an increase of 800,000 than previous year. 

Li Lin from New Oriental specializing in university exams told Chinese media that it is expected that more than 5.2 million people will apply for the national entrance exam in 2023. More than 1.3 million people are likely to be admitted, meaning the admission ratio is about 4:1, Li said. 

The postgraduate exam will take place on December 24 and 25 this year. 

In face of fierce job market, nearly 20 percent of fresh graduates are moving on to higher education, according to 2022 Chinese College Graduates' Employment Annual Report. Meanwhile, some graduates are leaning toward "stable and long-standing" work opportunities, as the proportion of undergraduates preparing for the civil service exam doubled in five years.

On the other side, China's employment situation sees a gradual improvement but the current unemployment rate is still at a relatively high level. 

Data showed in August the surveyed urban unemployment rate has fallen for four consecutive months, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed due to the rebounding industrial production and improving domestic market demand.

In August the national urban surveyed unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, the NBS data said. 

The problem of young people's employment pressure is still relatively prominent, and it is necessary to continue work toward stabilizing employment rate, especially the employment of key groups, Fu Linghui, a spokesperson for the NBS, said on July 15 noting that the policies for employment stabilization and assistance will be further implemented.

Global Times