Post-95 generation attracted to first-tier cities

Beijing has become China's most attractive city for talent from the post-95 generation this year, followed by Shenzhen, Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to a report released by Zhilian Recruitment, one of the major recruitment platforms in China, People's Daily reported.

The other cities ranked fifth to tenth were Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Fuoshan.

For job seekers in the post-95 generation, the net talent inflows to the eastern regions reached 17.9 percent, significantly higher than the overall figure.

Compared to others, talents in the post-95 generation prefer to find working opportunities in big city clusters, such as the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

"I stayed in Beijing for four years as an undergraduate and have an attachment to the city," said Wang Zining, who finished the master degree in Australia and found a job in Beijing after returning to China.

"The city not only offers a wider range of employment opportunities, but also has international working and living environment. Beijing is a good choice for overseas students," Wang said.

A report by China's service information platform 58.com in 2021 showed that 35.45 percent of college students expected to work in first-tier cities.

Post-95 generation are more inclined to pursue the work-life balance, which makes them not only focus on the salary, but pay attention to a city's local innovation environment and the development of cultural and entertainment industries, experts of Zhilian told People's Daily.

Apart from first-tier cities, more and more young people chose the new first-tier cities to start their career, a report by Zhilian showed last year.

In 2021, the number of overseas returnees sending resumes to new first-tier cities posted a growing trend, as these cities have great development potential, qualified infrastructure and strong talent attraction.

"Many of my classmates studying overseas chose to find jobs in cities like Chengdu and Nanjing," said Cheng Tao, who graduated from a university in Finland and settled down in Suzhou after working in Shanghai for a year.

"For students majoring in science or engineering, some of them can apply for talent subsidies in these cities, which is very attractive," according to Cheng.