Although China is expecting a record number of university graduates in the summer of 2004, Education Minister Zhou Ji is confident they will be offered enough job opportunities.

Zhou said Tuesday that 2.8 million students would graduate from higher education institutions this year, 680,000 more than in 2003.

He said higher enrollments in colleges and universities since 1999 should not be blamed for current problems for graduate unemployment.

Quality graduates were greatly welcomed by employers, he said, but some graduates refused jobs they considered beneath them.

Meanwhile, colleges and universities should revise their academic programs in response to the ever-changing job market.

Zhou said about 70 percent of graduates signed job contracts last year. Many others intended to continue studying overseas.

China had 2.12 million college and university graduates last year, 46 percent more than the previous year. Experts worried that the graduate boom since the enrollment expansion four years ago might result in difficulties in finding jobs. In addition, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak early last year affected the job market.

However, the job market for graduates in 2003 was better than expected, Zhou said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2004)