AI jobs with average of US$2,600 per month top choices for Chinese graduates in 2023 amid record youth unemployment

The article titled 'AI jobs with average of US$2,600 per month top choices for Chinese graduates in 2023 amid record youth unemployment' discusses the current job market in China. According to a report by Liepin, a Chinese recruitment platform, jobs in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector are the most lucrative for Chinese university graduates this year. The AI industry is offering an average monthly salary of 18,592 yuan (US$2,600) to college graduates in 2023, surpassing all other industries. Other sectors that offer competitive salaries include blockchain, elderly care services, aviation and aerospace equipment, and communication devices, with an average salary ranging between 15,500 and 17,500 yuan per month. The report underscores the urgent need for AI talent in China. Chinese companies are in a fierce competition to hire individuals with generative AI skills. The average salary offered by the AI industry this year has seen a significant increase of more than 40 per cent compared to the past three years. The demand for AI talent in China has tripled from five years ago, with roles involving pre-training models, conversational bots, and AI-generated content being particularly sought after. Jobs in the fields of information technology, internet, and video gaming remain popular among graduates, although the interest has slightly waned over the past two years. Jobs in the electronics, telecommunications, and semiconductors sectors have emerged as the third most popular category, with the rate of CV submissions almost doubling compared to 2021. The average salary offered to university graduates in 2023 is 10,342 yuan, a slight decrease from 10,575 yuan in 2022. The average expected salary of graduates was 8,033 yuan, 100 yuan lower than the previous year. The report attributes the decline in average salaries to macroeconomic uncertainties in recent years, but notes that salaries are still higher than those seen in 2021. In terms of cities, Beijing, which houses many Chinese tech giants such as Baidu and Meituan, offers the highest average salary of 13,283 yuan. It is followed by the financial hub Shanghai, and the tech hubs of Shenzhen and Hangzhou. The report is released at a time when China is grappling with sluggish growth, rising youth unemployment, and disrupted supply chains due to the Covid-19 pandemic and related control measures. This year, a record 11. 6 million college and university graduates entered the labour market. Unemployment among individuals aged 16 to 24 reached a record high of 21. 3 per cent in June.