10-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chinese nuclear giant's recruitment boast sparks backlash from young jobseekers
Nearly 1.2 million Chinese university students have applied for 8,000 positions at China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a prominent state-owned conglomerate, during a recruitment drive on campuses, underscoring the stiff competition young people face in today's job market.
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CNNC, China's civilian and military nuclear giant, sparked a public backlash after proudly announcing last weekend that it had received 1.196 million résumés from young jobseekers during its recently concluded recruitment campaign. That equates to about 150 candidates per vacancy.
A record 12.22 million students are expected to graduate from universities and colleges this summer.
CNNC's announcement, posted on its WeChat social media account on Saturday, boasted of the 'strong magnetic effect' of its ability to lure top students and its role in injecting sustainable momentum into industry-academia integration and innovation.
But it quickly sparked a wave of criticism, with many calling it offensive and arrogant and some accusing CNNC of 'showing off its attractiveness'.
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'This push is so offensive. The pain of job-hunting for fresh graduates shouldn't be a company's source of pride,' said Lisa Bai, a university student in Shanghai.
Finding suitable employment remains a challenge for many young people in China amid economic headwinds, including an intensifying trade war with the United States.
