Over 330,000 local college students will graduate in July, 14% more than last year. And adding the number of graduating students from other provinces coming to Guangdong in search for jobs, the army of young job seekers in the province will top 500,000 this year.

To rub salt into the wound the demand for graduates has dipped by 20%, as companies are trying to limit their labor costs in the wake of the economic slowdown.

The unfortunate figures mean that all their efforts to hunt down a job could prove to be fruitless.

A graduate student in Guangdong said, "Whether you're from an urban or rural area, if you're unemployed, then you should expect some kind of minimum subsidy from the government. But we graduates are not officially considered to be unemployed. We're called people awaiting jobs. I'm very disturbed by this definition. "

The employment situation was a top concern during the NPC and CPPCC meetings earlier this month. Officials acknowledged that hiring prospects in China are grave, and a slew of measures have been announced in the hope of relieving the situation.

A total of 7.1 million college graduates will chase jobs this year, including 1 million who failed to secure employment last year.

(CCTV March 24, 2009)