Xi Orders Politburo to Focus on 'High Quality Employment' for College Graduates

A year after urging young people in China to "eat bitterness," or endure hardship, in ir job search, President Xi Jinping has opted a markedly different tone as nation’s economy grapples with a sluggish recovery.

With youth unemployment persistently high—nearly three times overall rate—China's president issued a directive on Tuesday to Communist Party’s politburo, prioritizing provision of “high-quality full employment” as a key economic goal.

Why does this matter?

This represents a notable departure from his comments last May, when he encouraged young people to embrace challenges, drawing parallels to his own experiences during 1960s Cultural Revolution. As a teenager, Mr. Xi was dispatched to countryside for manual labor, including shoveling manure, under Mao Zedong’s campaign.

Quality jobs for youth, top priority, says Xi

On Tuesday, Mr. Xi spoke about importance of focusing on employment prospects of college gruates and or youth demographics. “Give top priority to employment of college gruates and or youth groups," Xi said to Politburo. 

“[We should] develop more jobs that are conducive to giving full play to ir knowledge and strengths,” he ded, as per a report from Xinhua.

China's economy expanded by more than 5 percent in first quarter compared to a year earlier. However, according to a report from Financial Times, economists describe recovery as uneven, driven mainly by manufacturing, exports, and government investment. Household consumption and investor sentiment remain subdued, partly due to a lingering slump in property sector.

Last year, China h a youth unemployment rate of 21 percent 

Last June, National Bureau of Statistics reported a youth unemployment rate exceeding 21 percent before abruptly ceasing publication of se figures to “refine ir methodology”. When data was reintroduced in December, now excluding students, rate stood at 14.7 percent in April, a slight decrease from 15.3 percent previous month but still considerably higher than urban unemployment rate of 5 percent.

In his dress to politburo, Mr. Xi underscored necessity of encouraging young people to seek employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in critical sectors, including urban and rural grassroots areas and small and medium-sized enterprises. With approximately 12 million gruates poised to enter workforce this year, many are struggling to find jobs that match ir qualifications or offer salaries sufficient to justify ir educational expenses.

Mr. Xi urged leers to analyze labor market disparities and dress issue of “re are jobs but no one to do m.”

A look at how Beijing's tune changed in a year 

A year ago, Chinese state media lauded Mr. Xi’s arduous experiences in countryside in 1969 as an exemplar for contemporary youth. Articles vividly described his laborious tasks, such as collecting manure, and extolled virtues of enduring hardship.

“To collect manure you h to take off your shoes, roll up your trouser legs, [and] jump in barefoot,” one article quoted him as saying. “[Xi] was covered in sweat and manure and urine, mixed toger, wet and smelly.” piece emphasized that “only by passing labor test and establishing idea of ‘seeking hardship for oneself’ can you… make your thoughts closer to people.”

Now, fact that Xi himself has said that focus should be on providing quality employment opportunities for young people, is significant. Xi has realised that issue of youth unemployment cannot be dismissed away with “toughen up” rhetoric. Concrete policies have to be formulated to solve problem, and that is exactly what Xi expects from China's political class.