China is launching an annual recruitment of college graduates in large and midsize cities, the official Xinhua news agency said on Sunday (Mar 19), as authorities double down on efforts to meet a more ambitious job creation goal this year.

The recruitment drive, hosted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, will last from Sunday to May 26, Xinhua said.

China aims to create around 12 million urban jobs this year, up from the 2022 target of at least 11 million. The government aims to keep survey-based jobless rate of around 5.5 per cent this year.

The new premier, Li Qiang, said last week that “developing the economy is the fundamental solution for creating jobs,” and the government will continue to pursue an “employment-first” strategy.