(Yicai) May 8 -- Almost half of the Chinese college students who will graduate this year indicated they want to work at state-owned enterprises, according to a recent report by recruitment platform Zhaopin.

Forty-eight percent of those surveyed between late March and mid-April aspire to work at SOEs, climbing for the fifth straight year from 36 percent in 2020, according to the report. Only 13 percent seek employment with private companies, down from 25 percent in 2020.

The number of college students graduating in China this year is expected to reach a record high of 11.8 million, making the task of job-hunting even tougher.

Graduates are shifting focus to stable jobs and incomes against an uncertain economic backdrop, according to the report.

Fifty-one percent rated stability as the most important factor when looking for a job, up 10 percent from last year. But at over 71 percent, the overriding factor remained salary and benefits.

Graduates hope to work in three main areas: 26 percent in information technology, telecommunications, electronics, and the internet; 9.4 percent in government and non-profit organizations; and 8.9 percent in culture, media, entertainment, and sports.

The IT and internet sectors present a significant number of job opportunities for fresh graduates and are also the most coveted ones.

The report also showed that an increasing number of graduates are choosing to work in third- and lower-tier cities, reflecting their economic and urban development. This also means that fresh graduates have a more practical approach to employment, opting for the relatively less competitive jobs market in lower tier cities.

Editor: Futura Costaglione