College diplomas will no longer assure comfortable and high-paying jobs, as the latest official data cited by Tuesday's Youth Daily indicates most of fresh university graduates in Shanghai are earning a monthly salary between 1,500 yuan (US$181) and 2,500 yuan (US$302), compared with the city's average of about 1,100 yuan (US$133).

Forty percent of the city's graduates make money within that range, with 28 percent gaining 1,500 to 2,000 yuan and 12 percent earning 2,000 to 2,500 yuan, according to a survey conducted by Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau.

Proportion of high-paid graduates remains low, as only a combined 1 percent of the fresh graduates get a pay over 5,000 yuan (US$604) a month, with those making a salary over 8,000 yuan (US$966), between 6,000-8,000 yuan and between 5,000-6,000 yuan count for 0.48, 0.08 and 0.44 percent respectively.

In the internship, students are making even less money, with more than 40 percent getting a pay between 570 and 1,000 yuan.

Students majored in marketing, administration and information technology are popular, as posts in these areas account for half of the total job market, while demand in the restaurant industry has seen a sharp growth due to Shanghai's increasing foreign exchanges, according to local human resources analysts.

(eastday.com November 19, 2003)