Employment pressure for university graduates will peak in June, when 6.3 million people graduate from the nation's universities and colleges.

Graduates hoping for a bright future attend a job fair on Jan 16 in Shenyang, Liaoning province. [China Daily]

The latest data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security suggests that the number of university graduates in 2010 will be 190,000 more than last year.

High employment pressure is expected in the already-tight job markets around the country, the ministry has warned.

In 2000, there were 1.07 million college graduates. Since then, the number has jumped almost six-fold due to the college enrollment expansion plan, which came into effect in 1999.

One aim of the expansion plan was to reach a 15 percent enrollment rate of higher education amongst school-age youths by 2010, Ji'nan Daily reported yesterday.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said it aimed to achieve a 70 percent employment rate for college graduates later this year.

Employment rates have struggled to keep up with the increasing number of graduates, resulting in a growing number of unemployed graduates over the years.

Data from the Ministry of Education shows the employment rates for fresh college graduates have been floating around 70 percent over the past three years, which is close to the 70 percent rate in 2001.

However, there is evidence to suggest a decline in the rocketing number of graduates.

About 80,000 high school graduates in Shandong province abandoned preparations for the college entrance exam last year, local media reported.

One reason was that students from rural areas were worried about their job prospects after graduation, the report said.

Beijing also saw a decline in the number of students registering for the college entrance exam for three years in a row, the Beijing education examinations authority said in January.

This year, 81,000 high school students have registered to take the exam.

The number was 101,293 in 2009 and about 116,293 in 2008.

The falling birth rate was cited as the main reason for the sharp fall in registration for the college entrance examination.

Other reasons included affluent urban residents sending their children abroad for further education, as well as vocational schools attracting students who found tuition fees too expensive for higher education.

A recent survey showed that Chinese urban residents place more importance on salaries and benefits in job hunting, compared to last year.

In contrast, concerns over job pressures and the working environment have lowered, according to the report, which said the financial crisis was responsible for the changes.