Join up to get Beijing hukou, military offers college grads

For nonlocal college graduates who desire a much sought-after Beijing hukou, or household registration permit, joining up for a spell in the Chinese military may be a good option.

As this year's recruitment campaign in the capital entered its second day on Tuesday, the loosened hukou policy, which is widely seen as an incentive to boost the declining number of new recruits, has attracted many students.

An unnamed official from the municipal education commission told the Global Times this preferential policy given to new recruits who have graduated from the capital's colleges this year is a breakthrough.

"Previously, nonlocal students had to return to their hometowns to enroll," the official said, adding that once discharged, they can have their hukou registered in Beijing after finding a job, regardless of the quota.

This means that other than government agencies and State-owned enterprises, veterans hired by privately-owned companies can also obtain a Beijing hukou.

Some see the new move as an effort to relieve the depressed job market as a record 6.99 million graduates are set to enter the workplace this year, up 190,000 from 2012. 

However, Wang Hongcai, an education professor at Xiamen University, told the Global Times the policy has nothing to do with the employment situation, as "the number of new soldiers is so small, and falls far short of easing the difficulty of finding a job."

He noted that while using hukou as a reward is not sustainable, the precedent, once proved to be successful, may be followed by other regions.

Recruiting procedures including health check-ups will begin on August 1.