CRI听力:Experts Hold Different Opinions on Whether More Graduates Choose to Work in Small Cities

First tier cities in China such as Beijing and Shanghai capture world class enterprises, which means more work opportunities and a higher quality of life. Therefore, these cities are the first choice for college graduates. Experts hold different opinions on whether this situation has been changing. Our reporter Wu Jia has the details.



Nowadays, more graduate students are reported to choose to work in second or third tier cities. Nevertheless, Gao Wenshu, a researcher at the Institute of Population and Labor Economics, believes graduates prefer working in large cities.

"According to our small-scale investigation, graduates choosing not to work in large cities had become prominent last year. But this year is not the case. People are affected by the world economic situation which seems to have turned better this year. Meanwhile, salary expectation is higher in large cities, where they find an integrated industrial structure and more job opportunities."

Though big cities have its problems such as traffic jams, heavy work and living pressures, Gao believes new graduates pay more attention to their career development.

But Wei Pingwei, director of Career Center at China Youth University for Political Sciences, holds a different opinion for the following reasons.

"A series of preferential policies are carried out to attract college graduates to smaller cities. The second reason is that many students have developed different understanding about employment due to fiercer competition. At the same time, they have learned a lot more about smaller cities. Another reason is the high living costs in large cities, including higher housing prices."

Du Peng, professor at the Population Development Studies Center of Renmin University, agrees with Wei Pingwei from the perspective of city development.

"More students graduate from universities each year. But, the capacity of large cities is limited. At the same time, the gap between cities has lessened in recent years. The living quality in small cities is improving, while more enterprises are transferring or setting up there."

No matter whether to stay in big cities or smaller ones, Du Peng suggests that students think about it according to their own professional advantages as well as their career plans.

For CRI, this is Wu Jia.