Young people across China are feeling the effects of a deteriorating job market as the economic fallout from the government’s “zero Covid” strategy continues.
College graduates are among those likely to be hit hardest by the impact of lockdowns imposed earlier this year. More than 10 million students, a record number, are expected to graduate this summer.
Authorities put Shanghai, China’s main commercial hub, into lockdown for more than two months from late March, and also imposed tight restrictions across the capital Beijing.
The measures forced many firms out of business, disrupted supply chains, and triggered a decline in public spending.
The unemployment rate in cities for May was 5.9 percent, above the government target of 5.5 percent or lower.
The jobless rate for people aged 16 to 24 was significantly higher, at 18.4 percent, the worst figure since statistics were first made available in January 2018.
The government has responded by expanding hiring at state-owned companies and offering tax incentives to firms that take on fresh graduates.
Experts say leaders are monitoring the situation carefully in a bid to stem any rise in resentment among the youth population.
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