Graduates face grim hunt for work

"The days of waiting at the office for employers to approach us are over. To help students find jobs and attract businesses to our campus job fair, the school mobilized all the teachers and also asked alumni to invite their employers," Yang said.

"Every year, approximately 65 percent of our graduates choose to work in Northeast China and so regional economic development plays a major role in our employment plans," he said.

"Generally, mechanical engineering majors are in great demand, and several well-respected machinery manufacturers in Dalian employed a large number of graduates. But unfortunately, some of them have filed for bankruptcy this year. What's worse, many Japanese businesses in the city have also cut staff numbers, thus hampering many students' plans," he added.

In addition to China's economic slowdown, Yang said the disparity between supply and demand has exacerbated the rise in graduate unemployment levels.

Many companies based in the less-developed western region have failed to fill their employment quotas because a large number of students rate location as a top priority and have high expectations of working in big cities and for State-owned enterprises and governments, he said.

Young people in China will continue to face tough employment pressure in the coming five years, with the annual number of college graduates staying at around 7 million, according to data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The Worker's Gymnasium in Beijing holds job fairs four days a week, throughout the year, except on national holidays. The fairs mainly attract small and medium-sized companies.