Labour Market News
- Guangdong News
Date: 31-Jan-2007 Sources: (People's Daily)
FEWER postgraduates are finding jobs in Guangdong than graduates, the province's education department has revealed, raising doubts about the value of extra studies.
For the first time, the employment rate among postgraduates is lower than that of undergraduates.
Li Xiaolu, vice head of the department, revealed the figures when attending a meeting on employment of college and university students.
He noted that the employment rate for postgraduates was 94.37 percent in Guangdong at the end of 2006, and 97.25 percent for university graduates. For postsecondary vocational college students, the figure was 95.57 percent.
In 2004, a similar survey found that postgraduate employment rates were 20 percent higher than those of undergraduates.
Such statistics will make people rethink whether or not it is worth pursuing postgraduate study, considering the high costs of studying and the extra time of two to three years needed.
The lower employment rate is due to the high expectations of postgraduates regarding salary and good jobs. Many postgraduates will not accept a job with a monthly salary of less than 3,000 yuan (US$386).
However, even though there are many doubts regarding the value of postgraduate study, the popularity of the postgraduate entrance exam is considered unlikely to decline.
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