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College expansion is not the root of graduates' unemployment woes
By Zhou Junyu |
April 29, 2009, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IN 2009, there will be around 6 million graduates seeking to enter the job labor market, up 12.9 per cent over last year.
As students find it increasingly difficult to find a job, many people have regarded rapidly expanding college enrollment as the main cause of graduates' unemployment.
College enrollment expansion should be blamed if and only if it leads to a decline in demand for or a surplus of supply of graduates.
Labor demand depends mainly on economic growth. If the national economy is in depression, labor demand will decline.
In this sense, China's macro-economic situation and that of the global economy may have had more effect on graduate employment than college enrollment expansion.
Expanded college enrollment has contributed to China's economic development because it stimulates consumption and spurs the construction of infrastructure, such as teaching facilities, dorms and cafeterias.
College enrollment expansion has indeed increased the supply of university graduates. But it's wrong to jump to the conclusion that there's glut, or over supply of graduates.
In 2008, only 23 per cent of college-age young people in China were able to receive higher education, nearly 40 per cent lower than the average level in developed countries.
Even though these students didn't get higher education, they would still have to struggle for a job.
Is it easier to find a job for a middle school graduate than for a college graduate?
In the past, higher education was so elite that graduates were virtually guaranteed plum jobs, but behind the scenes, the majority of college-age young people couldn't go to university at all.
It's wrong to blame the expansion for the downturn in the job market.
As students find it increasingly difficult to find a job, many people have regarded rapidly expanding college enrollment as the main cause of graduates' unemployment.
College enrollment expansion should be blamed if and only if it leads to a decline in demand for or a surplus of supply of graduates.
Labor demand depends mainly on economic growth. If the national economy is in depression, labor demand will decline.
In this sense, China's macro-economic situation and that of the global economy may have had more effect on graduate employment than college enrollment expansion.
Expanded college enrollment has contributed to China's economic development because it stimulates consumption and spurs the construction of infrastructure, such as teaching facilities, dorms and cafeterias.
College enrollment expansion has indeed increased the supply of university graduates. But it's wrong to jump to the conclusion that there's glut, or over supply of graduates.
In 2008, only 23 per cent of college-age young people in China were able to receive higher education, nearly 40 per cent lower than the average level in developed countries.
Even though these students didn't get higher education, they would still have to struggle for a job.
Is it easier to find a job for a middle school graduate than for a college graduate?
In the past, higher education was so elite that graduates were virtually guaranteed plum jobs, but behind the scenes, the majority of college-age young people couldn't go to university at all.
It's wrong to blame the expansion for the downturn in the job market.
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