Chinese and American College Grads and Employment
I know we have all read about how many college grads in the USA are either not working or are under employed for their education level. But, as we know, education is not everything in every field or employment sector. Experience has been and will always be the achilles heel to those with college degrees. Even if you convince the interviewer that you can do the job on education alone, anyone with some experience already could get it. If the person also has some college, you'll be lucky to get the job.
In China, the situation is similar as 16% of their grads are not working. This is four times the rate for those who quit school and never complete it. Over 50% of the grads work in low level and low pay jobs and their rate of pay is below those migrants going to China to work. Getting straight 4.0 GPA does not matter. The study showed that those grads with such grades make 10% less than grads with 2.5 GPA because of better political connections.
When it comes to starting their own business, only 3% of the Chinese grads are willing to take the chance, while 22% of American grads (in engineering) are willing. The Chinese grads are all seeking government jobs for security purposes. The Chinese government is the greatest employer and controls everything regarding employment demand. China cannot produce enough jobs for their college grads, so many take menial work. The employers in China, for the most part, do not feel the college grad is worth more money than its non-college worker population. So, grads take the national civil exam for a government job- some one million of them.
Chinese grads earn about $450 a month, while those with no college, $350. In a recent civil job opening for street cleaners and drivers, 3000 grads competed for 1000 jobs. The government has the most secured jobs and once you get one, you are there for life unless you really are bad. Much like the US government jobs.
