Fewer professionals changing jobs

Job seekers attend a job fair for postgraduates in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 18, 2014. About 18,000 opportunities were offered at the fair. [Photo/Xinhua]

The survey found that respondents are cautious in light of economic prospects for this year, which translates into slightly more stability when it comes to job changes in the coming 11 months.

"Stabilization is noticeable," said MRIC Group CEO Christine Raynaud. "For the past two years, we have seen more people who say they won't move."

Another survey, conducted by ManpowerGroup, which describes itself as a provider of innovative workplace solutions, said steady hiring is forecast for China during the first quarter, with 11 percent of employers expecting to increase staffing levels and 1 percent expecting a decrease.

Employers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou all reported the strongest regional hiring pace, with an outlook of more than 12 percent for the first quarter of this year, according to the group's research.

The employers are hopeful about first-quarter hiring, and the outlook is for a slight increase over last quarter, said Zhang Jinrong, managing director of ManpowerGroup.

Zhang said the country's service sector and consumption are becoming the main drivers of the Chinese economy. The government has encouraged efforts to promote steady growth in employment by improving supportive policies, stepping up vocational training and enhancing services.

China's labor market remains resilient, and employment is relatively stable, Zhang said. Labor-intensive service industries are expected to create more jobs than capital-intensive heavy industries.