Young participants learn e-commerce sales skills in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on April 22, 2025. [Photo/IC]

Recruitment platform Zhaopin released a list of China's top 50 most attractive cities for talent born after 1995 on Dec 4, with 11 cities from the province making the list, led by Hangzhou in fourth place.

Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Jinhua, Huzhou, and Wenzhou all secured spots in the top 30, while Taizhou, Lishui, Zhoushan, and Quzhou also entered the top 50.

According to the list, top performers vary across indicators. Strong first-tier and major second-tier cities — including Hangzhou — lead in attracting highly educated young talent. In income levels, first-tier cities and those in the Yangtze River Delta region hold a clear advantage. Shenzhen, Suzhou, and Hangzhou rank high in innovation capacity.

Cities with the highest per capita disposable income include Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Nanjing, Wenzhou, and Shenzhen. Apart from the four first-tier cities, all are located in the Yangtze River Delta, reflecting the region's strong purchasing power. Notably, Suzhou and Hangzhou outperform Guangzhou and Shenzhen in income levels.

The report notes that as cities intensify efforts to attract young talent, policies should align with objective patterns of population and industry concentration. It recommends that cities build on comparative advantages, deepen residency policy reform, optimize urban cluster planning, and improve industrial structures, public services, and transportation to advance equal access to public services.