Exodus of Chinese graduates from megacities

Some 61 percent of graduates in China's megacities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, chose to work and live in second- or third-tier cities in 2013. [file photo]

Some 61 percent of graduates in China's megacities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, chose to work and live in second- or third-tier cities in 2013, statistics from Zhaopin.com, an institution dedicated to human resource services, show.

"This figure was only 46 percent in 2011," said Guo Sheng, CEO of Zhaopin.com.

Recent statistics from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security show that China had 6.99 million graduates in 2013, the highest number in China's history.

"China's central and western regions are witnessing rapid growth, attracting more and more graduates from big cities," Guo said.

"It has become a trend for graduates to escape Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, since these cities have lost the obvious advantages of a high salary anymore," said Ge Yuhao, associate research fellow with the China Institute for Employment Research.