China vows support to help graduates find jobs as US trade war weighs on the economy

New system will cover skills training, career guidance, recruitment and more as Beijing moves to prop up employment and domestic demand

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People attend a job fair in east China’s Anhui province on January 22. China’s slowing growth and structural changes to the economy have left many young people jobless, including many with university degrees. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 11:00pm, 8 Apr 2025

China has pledged to create a “comprehensive system” to support the employment of university graduates as the nation attempts to counter economic shocks from its intensifying trade war with the United States.

Chinese authorities said on Tuesday that over the next three to five years, the country would establish a system to support employment of new graduates. It will cover skills training, career guidance, job search and recruitment help, support for the disadvantaged, and monitoring and evaluation of the employment market, according to the general offices of the Communist Party and State Council.

They added that party, state and university leaders at all levels would be responsible for building and implementing the system.

The announcement reiterated a decision first made in November. The service system for graduates is one of several measures Beijing has introduced to stabilise the domestic economy and strengthen market confidence to brace against the impact of the escalating trade war.

The move aims to provide a “solid guarantee for high-quality and full employment” of Chinese university graduates, according to the authorities.

After the US imposed new tariffs on Chinese goods last week, Beijing responded with countermeasures and pledged not to back down as US President Donald Trump threatened additional duties.

In a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, Premier Li Qiang said China was fully prepared for external shocks to its economy.