就業公平(jiu ye gong ping): Employment equality

It is necessary to promote equality in the job market as China passes through what many netizens describe as "the worst year to find a job".

According to official figures, a record 6.99 million college students will be graduating this year, an increase of 190,000 over 2012. Widespread discrimination in the job market has made the situation even tougher for many fresh graduates. Potential employers are raising their requirements based on criteria such as hukou (household registration), gender, age, alma mater, physical appearance and other factors which have nothing to do with a candidate's ability, efficiency and educational qualification.

Recently the General Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, and the Ministry of Education issued directives against discrimination in employment of graduates. Among other things, the directives have banned recruitment advertisements with discriminatory requirements.

State-owned enterprises, and government departments and their affiliated institutions have to especially establish an open recruitment process in order to make the job market really fair by eliminating power abusers and privileged groups.

(China Daily 05/24/2013 page9)