Unemployment in China is currently estimated at 9.4% (China Daily March 5, 2010).  Since the global recession in 2008, the nature of employment in China has changed.  There are fewer trading jobs with the rest of the world.  Instead employers are seeking higher skilled graduates with commercial acumen.  6.11 million students graduated from Chinese colleges in 2009.  Officially 87% received jobs but this percentage may be optimistic. Unemployment for graduates is high.  Expectations of a decent lifestyle by younger people means that they will not accept the menial jobs undertaken by their parents.   Unemployment is an issue all over China, but the issue is particularly acute in the cities which formally depended on manufacturing for export. (more…)