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He Huifeng

Joey Lu, an operations manager at a Shenzhen-based co-working office, is hiring two administrative assistants to fill vacancies left earlier this year.
Compared to the same period last year, she said, she has received far more résumés.
“There are more jobseekers in the market, but our company and most of our clients tend to maintain their current workforce, with no plans to expand,” Lu said.
She noted that many of her industry peers are struggling to retain clients and reduce office vacancies, as many companies have cut office space and budgets.
Lu’s observations align with recent recruitment data, which shows employers’ willingness to hire is down this quarter compared to last year – but represents a slight rebound from late 2024.
According to a report released last week by Chinese recruitment agency Liepin, 30.85 per cent of surveyed companies plan to increase hiring in the first quarter of 2025, down from 39.3 per cent in the same period last year. However, this was an improvement from the 25.64 per cent reported in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, 19.08 per cent plan workforce reductions, up from 12.47 per cent year on year.
Over the past year, many of my peers have frozen year-end bonuses, cut salaries and laid off employees
Lily Fang, Guangzhou
The first quarter often sets the tone for annual hiring, said Guangzhou-based human resources specialist Luo Dongrong.
“Businesses typically expand during this period, and after Lunar New Year, job mobility rises as more people seek new opportunities,” she said.
Many traditional manufacturing companies, however, are continuing to tighten budgets and downsize.
“Over the past year, many of my peers have frozen year-end bonuses, cut salaries and laid off employees,” said Lily Fang. “I cancelled our year-end party and used the savings for Lunar New Year bonuses.”
Fang’s skincare business in Guangzhou has seen a drop-off in sales as patrons shift their spending elsewhere, she said. “Domestic demand is weak, and skincare is seen by consumers as an expense that can be skipped. For mid-market brands like ours, 2025 could be even tougher.”
In January, China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – an indicator of factory activity – fell back into contractionary territory with a reading of 49.1.


But the job market is not monolithic. Even as some firms steel themselves for a tough 2025 and put a pause on hiring, demand for overseas positions and the film industry is on the rise.
A survey conducted by leading online recruitment platform Zhaopin showed that in the second week after the Lunar New Year holiday, demand for film production roles increased by 16.8 per cent compared to the previous week.
This was ahead of the growth rate for all other positions, boosted by the success of animated film Ne Zha 2, which grossed over 12.3 billion yuan (US$1.7 billion) at the holiday box office.
Demand for talent overseas is also growing. Liepin’s report showed that in 2024, nearly 30 per cent of surveyed companies sought overseas hires for global expansion. In the first quarter of 2025, the proportion of firms planning to increase their overseas recruitment rose to 15.05 per cent, more than double the 7.26 per cent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“In Shenzhen, demand for jobs for overseas markets is growing across industries, from electric cars and robotics to cross-border e-commerce, especially in sales and technology positions,” said Jiao Yang, a senior presales engineer.
However, he also noted that although demand for these jobs has risen, salaries remain unchanged from last year and in many cases are lower than pre-2020 levels.


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Businesses in China are holding back on hiring in 2025 – though demand is still high for overseas positions and sentiment has improved on late 2024


Businesses in China are holding back on hiring in 2025 – though demand is still high for overseas positions and sentiment has improved on late 2024.
