The weak manufacturing sector took a toll on job advertisements in China, which shed 7 percent year on year in the third quarter, a report said yesterday.
The drop reversed from a 4 percent year-on-year growth in the second quarter, and was the worst among other Asian markets including Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, recruitment firm Robert Walters said in a survey covering major online job boards in the region.
Overall, job advertisements rose 1 percent in Asia, with Japan leading the growth with 11 percent.
"The slowdown in China's economic growth has led companies to be somewhat more conservative around hiring," said Arthur Wang, managing director of Robert Walters China.
Advertisements for jobs in merchandising and purchasing as well as product and logistics suffered the sharpest drops of 15 percent and 17 percent respectively in the world's second-largest economy.
The firm blamed the slump to a slowing manufacturing sector as operating costs rise in China, affecting hiring for factory and warehouse jobs.
But accounting and finance staff were still highly sought as job advertisements rose 11 percent from a year earlier, according to the report.
