Job-hunting university students in China expect employers to pay them higher salaries than last year and they also value work-life balance the most, according to a new survey yesterday.
They expect an average salary of 7,315 yuan (US$1,178) a month, 11 percent higher than last year, said a Universum survey of over 55,000 undergraduates, masters and PhD students in 109 key universities in China, done over six months ending in April.
Computer sciences and software students have the highest salary expectations, with an average of 8,863 yuan per month.
Universum found that science and arts students considered Hangzhou-based Alibaba the most ideal employer. The Internet giant was the second-most ideal for engineering students.
The students also viewed Baidu and Tencent as among the top-10 employers because of the companies' quick growth and solid market share, the survey said.
"Salaries and promotion have always been a concern for young job seekers, but we also noticed increasing emphasis on other values related to the workplace," said William Wu, Universum China manager. "Students now prefer employers that could provide a friendly and flexible working environment."
Work-life balance remains the most sought after value from an employer, followed by a sense of security and an independent working environment, the survey found.
