AI Jobs Surge in Popularity as Top Choice for Chinese Job Hoppers

AI-related jobs top choice for job hoppers in China

A recent survey by Zhilian Zhaopin, a Chinese job-search platform, revealed that nearly 60% of applicants are considering AI-related jobs during the spring job-hopping season this year. This surge in interest is attributed to the rapid development of new technologies and proactive policy support.

Among employees in emerging industries who are considering or conducting job-hunting, 49.2% anticipate entering the AI industry, making it the top choice. The AI industry is followed by the new energy industry with a proportion of 41.7% of interviewees prioritizing it in their job-hunting. High-end manufacturing, residents' service, and cross-border e-commerce industries also rank among the top five hot choices.

In terms of careers, 57.2% of applicants express a strong desire to pursue AI-related jobs, such as AI engineers. Among them, 24.3% believe such "new careers offer better development prospects," 21.5% are attracted by "higher salaries," and 11.4% think AI-related jobs provide "a greater sense of achievement through self-challenging."

The survey also shows that "dissatisfaction with salary and benefits" constitutes the primary reason for employees expecting to seek other jobs during the spring recruitment season, accounting for 48.1%, up from last year's 47.4%.

To secure top talent, companies are raising salaries. Statistics from Zhilian Zhaopin show that in February, recruitment for positions for algorithm engineers, machine learning, and deep learning saw year-on-year growth of 46.8%, 40.1%, and 5.1%, respectively, with the average monthly salary for these positions exceeding 20,000 yuan ($2,757).

Apart from "dissatisfaction with salary and benefits," other major reasons for job hopping include "uncertain company prospects and business contraction" and "being exploited or manipulated by boss and workplace bullying." The proportion of job seekers choosing "uncertain company prospects" as the reason for their intention of job hopping has significantly increased this year, reflecting a growing expectation from employees toward companies to clarify their development direction in a changing era.

The survey also highlights the importance of a positive corporate culture and work atmosphere for attracting and retaining talent. The choice of "being exploited or manipulated and workplace bullying" ranks the third, indicating that employees attach greater importance to their working experience.