Majority cautious about job prospects, survey finds

A recent survey reveals that 69.8 percent of the Chinese working population are cautious about landing new jobs during the somewhat traditional season of change precipitated by the arrival of the new year.

Nearly 86 percent of the respondents in the survey, undertaken by the China Youth Daily, noted that people should be more prudent about job-hopping in January, a perspective which received the most support from people born in the 1980s and 1990s and those with an annual income between 100,000 yuan ($15,400) and 200,000 yuan.

The survey found only 28.4 percent of respondents optimistic about changing jobs in the next couple of months.

Most of the optimists have been working for between five and 10 years, and have an annual income between 200,000 yuan and 300,000 yuan, the survey found.

Just over 79 percent of the respondents toyed with the idea of switching jobs in 2020, while 41.3 percent put the idea into practice.

A total of 2,015 working people took part in the survey, among whom those born in the 1980s accounted for 47.6 percent, those born in the 1990s accounted for 42.5 percent, and those born in the 1970s accounted for 8.5 percent.

In terms of work experience, 31.5 percent have between five and 10 years experience, 27.9 percent have three to five years, and 19.8 percent have more than 10, while the rest have worked for fewer than three years.