BEIJING – January 11, 2019 – Zhaopin Limited (“Zhaopin” or the “Company”), a leading career platform in China focused on matching talents with job opportunities and skills through their career lifecycle, released its 2018 fourth-quarter report on China labor market supply and demand for white-collar workers.
Competition among white-collar workers for jobs remained stable in the fourth quarter of 2018, while their average monthly salary continued to rise to RMB8,096, up 3.1% from the previous quarter.
China white-collar labor market highlights for the fourth-quarter of 2018:
- The average monthly salary for white-collar workers rose to RMB8,096 in the fourth quarter of 2018, up 3.1% from the third quarter and 3.9% from the fourth quarter of 2017.
- Competition for jobs among white-collar workers remained stable in the fourth quarter of 2018, with an average of 32.0 applications per job vacancy.
- Senior management continued to receive the highest monthly salaries of RMB20,735, up slightly from the third quarter.
- The internet/e-commerce sector topped the list with the most job vacancies and the most job applications in the fourth quarter of 2018.
- Large companies with 1,000 to 9,999 employees were the most competitive for job seekers, while the competition for positions in mid- and small-sized companies continued to intensify from the previous quarter.
Average salary continued to rise
Based on online job postings in 37 key cities in China compiled by Zhaopin, the average monthly salary for white-collar workers continued to increase to RMB8,096 in the fourth quarter of 2018, up 3.1% from the third quarter of 2018 and 3.9% from the fourth quarter of 2017.
Average monthly salary for white-collar workers | ||
Quarter | Average salary (RMB) | Change over previous quarter |
Q4 2017 | 7,789 | 2.5% |
Q1 2018 | 7,629 | – 2.1% |
Q2 2018 | 7,832 | 2.7% |
Q3 2018 | 7,850 | 0.2% |
Q4 2018 | 8,096 | 3.1% |
Among job postings in the fourth quarter of 2018, 32.2% offered monthly salaries of more than RMB8,000, and 31.3% offered monthly salaries between RMB4,000 and 6,000. About 22.6% of positions offered monthly salaries between 6,000 and 8,000.
Breakdown of positions by monthly salaries in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Salary (RMB) | Percentage of positions |
Over 8,000 | 32.2% |
6,000 to 8,000 | 22.6% |
4,000 to 6,000 | 31.3% |
2,000 to 4,000 | 13.2% |
Below 2,000 | 0.7% |
Beijing continued to top the list of cities with the highest pay in the fourth quarter of 2018, with an average monthly salary of RMB10,871. The top ten cities with the highest pay remained the same in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Average monthly salary for cities in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |||||
Ranking | City | Average monthly salary (RMB) | Ranking | City | Average monthly salary (RMB) |
1 | Beijing | 10,871 | 20 | Jinan | 7,372 |
2 | Shanghai | 10,164 | 21 | Nanchang | 7,344 |
3 | Shenzhen | 9,776 | 22 | Fuzhou | 7,300 |
4 | Hangzhou | 9,029 | 23 | Hefei | 7,285 |
5 | Guangzhou | 8,440 | 24 | Haikou | 7,275 |
6 | Nanjing | 8,048 | 25 | Wuxi | 7,223 |
7 | Ningbo | 7,984 | 26 | Zhengzhou | 7,129 |
8 | Xiamen | 7,837 | 27 | Qingdao | 7,083 |
9 | Dongguan | 7,835 | 28 | Lanzhou | 7,061 |
10 | Suzhou | 7,739 | 29 | Tianjin | 7,038 |
11 | Wuhan | 7,710 | 30 | Xi’an | 6,898 |
12 | Chengdu | 7,692 | 31 | Dalian | 6,675 |
13 | Foshan | 7,667 | 32 | Shijiazhuang | 6,644 |
14 | Chongqing | 7,633 | 33 | Taiyuan | 6,559 |
15 | Guiyang | 7,545 | 34 | Yantai | 6,557 |
16 | Changsha | 7,502 | 35 | Changchun | 6,355 |
17 | Urumqi | 7,491 | 36 | Harbin | 6,310 |
18 | Nanning | 7,426 | 37 | Shenyang | 6,215 |
19 | Kunming | 7,410 |
|
|
|
Funds/securities/futures/investment remained the best-paying sector in the fourth quarter of 2018 with an average monthly salary of RMB11,017, followed by RMB10,371 for trust/warrant/auction/pawn, and RMB9,750 for professional service/consulting (finance and accounting, legal and HR, etc.).
Top 10 highest paid sectors in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Sector | Average monthly salary (RMB) |
Funds/securities/futures/investment | 11,017 |
Trust/warrant/auction/pawn | 10,371 |
Professional service/consulting (finance and accounting, legal and HR, etc.) | 9,750 |
Banking | 9,519 |
Intermediary service | 9,412 |
Cross-industry operation | 9,369 |
Insurance | 9,232 |
Energy/mineral/mining/smelting | 9,084 |
Internet/E-commerce | 8,952 |
Online games | 8,922 |
The top three occupations with the highest monthly salaries in the fourth quarter of 2018 continued to be senior management (RMB20,735), IT management/project coordination (RMB15,675) and securities/futures/investment management/service (RMB12,411).
Top 10 highest paid occupations in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Occupation | Average monthly salary (RMB) |
Senior management | 20,735 |
IT management/project coordination | 15,675 |
Securities/futures/investment management/service | 12,411 |
Sales management | 11,680 |
Software/internet development/system integration | 11,224 |
Real estate development/broker/agency | 11,165 |
Trust/warrant/auction/pawn | 10,976 |
Hardware development | 10,726 |
Banking | 10,298 |
Civil servant/public institution/research institute | 10,206 |
Wholly foreign-owned enterprises offered the highest average monthly salary of RMB9,019 in the fourth quarter, followed by RMB8,733 for public companies and RMB8,649 for state-owned enterprises.
Average monthly salaries from different types of companies in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Type of Company | Average monthly salary (RMB) |
Wholly foreign-owned enterprises | 9,019 |
Public companies | 8,733 |
Joint ventures | 8,649 |
State-owned enterprises | 8,584 |
Private companies | 7,954 |
Public institutions | 7,730 |
Larger companies continued to offer higher salaries than companies of smaller size in the fourth quarter of 2018, while mid-sized companies offered higher salaries than the previous quarter.
Average monthly salaries for companies of different sizes in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Size of company by employee numbers | Average monthly salary (RMB) |
Below 20 | 7,593 |
20-99 | 7,634 |
100-499 | 8,030 |
500-999 | 8,546 |
1,000-9,999 | 8,927 |
Above 10,000 | 9,116 |
Job market competition remained stable
Zhaopin publishes the quarterly competitive index for the labor market in China based on data collected from its online platform. The competitive index is calculated based on the number of resume applications divided by the number of job vacancies. For the fourth quarter of 2018, the competitive index was 32.0, which means there were an average of 32.0 applications per job vacancy. The index remained stable at 31.9, the same as in the third quarter of 2018, but the numbers of job openings and job applications in the fourth quarter of 2018 both surged compared to the previous quarter.
Competitive index | |
Quarter | Competitive index |
Q4 2017 | 31.0 |
Q1 2018 | 42.8 |
Q2 2018 | 38.0 |
Q3 2018 | 31.9 |
Q4 2018 | 32.0 |
(Competitive index = number of applications/number of job vacancies)
Beijing continued to be the most competitive city for white-collar workers, with a competitive index of 89.4 in the fourth quarter of 2018, more competitive than in the previous quarter and the fourth quarter last year. The competition in Shenzhen greatly intensified in the fourth quarter of 2018. Among 37 cities measured for the competitive index, most witnessed drops in competitive index this winter compared to the previous quarter.
Competitive index for cities in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |||||
Ranking | City | Index | Ranking | City | Index |
1 | Beijing | 89.4 | 20 | Shijiazhuang | 20.9 |
2 | Shenzhen | 43.7 | 21 | Zhengzhou | 20.8 |
3 | Shenyang | 40.9 | 22 | Qingdao | 20.3 |
4 | Shanghai | 40.9 | 23 | Wuhan | 20.1 |
5 | Tianjin | 35.5 | 24 | Jinan | 17.8 |
6 | Chengdu | 34.9 | 25 | Suzhou | 16.8 |
7 | Harbin | 34.5 | 26 | Urumqi | 16.5 |
8 | Dalian | 30.3 | 27 | Yantai | 15.7 |
9 | Changchun | 30.3 | 28 | Kunming | 15.0 |
10 | Xi’an | 26.6 | 29 | Hefei | 14.9 |
11 | Guiyang | 24.7 | 30 | Wuxi | 13.0 |
12 | Haikou | 23.7 | 31 | Nanchang | 12.6 |
13 | Guangzhou | 23.5 | 32 | Dongguan | 10.9 |
14 | Changsha | 23.3 | 33 | Nanning | 10.1 |
15 | Chongqing | 21.9 | 34 | Fuzhou | 9.7 |
16 | Lanzhou | 21.8 | 35 | Foshan | 9.6 |
17 | Hangzhou | 21.7 | 36 | Xiamen | 9.6 |
18 | Taiyuan | 21.3 | 37 | Ningbo | 7.3 |
19 | Nanjing | 21.2 |
|
|
|
Competitive index = number of applications/number of job vacancies |
In terms of employer size, companies with 1,000 to 9,999 employees were the most competitive for job seekers, with an index of 41.3, followed by 36.4 for companies with over 10,000 employees. The competition for positions in mid- and small-sized companies intensified much than in the previous quarter and the fourth quarter of 2017.
Competitive index for different size companies in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Size of Company by employee numbers | Index |
Below 20 | 25.5 |
20-99 | 27.2 |
100-499 | 33.4 |
500-999 | 36 |
1,000-9,999 | 41.3 |
Over 10,000 | 36.4 |
Supply and demand by sector
In the fourth quarter of 2018, the internet/e-commerce sector continued to top the list with the highest demand, followed by education/training/college, and real estate/construction/building materials/engineering sectors. Overall, job demand for the top ten sectors increased compared to the previous quarter.
Top ten sectors with the highest job demand in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Ranking | Sector |
1 | Internet/e-commerce |
2 | Education/training/college |
3 | Real estate/construction/building materials/engineering |
4 | Computer software |
5 | Professional service/consulting (finance and accounting, legal and HR, etc.) |
6 | Funds/securities/futures/investment |
7 | Medicine/biological engineering |
8 | IT services (system/data/maintenance) |
9 | FMCG (food, drinks, alcohol and tobacco, and chemicals for daily use) |
10 | Trade/export and import |
The sectors with the most job applications in the fourth quarter of 2018 continued to be internet/e-commerce, real estate/construction/building materials/engineering, and computer software. Overall, job applications in the fourth quarter of 2018 outnumbered the previous quarter.
Top ten sectors with the most job applications in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Ranking | Sector |
1 | Internet/e-commerce |
2 | Real estate/construction/building materials/engineering |
3 | Computer software |
4 | Education/training/college |
5 | IT services (system/data/maintenance) |
6 | Funds/securities/futures/investment |
7 | Professional service/consulting (finance and accounting, legal and HR, etc.) |
8 | FMCG (food, drinks, alcohol and tobacco, and chemicals for daily use) |
9 | Media/publishing/movie and TV/culture communications |
10 | Medicine/biological engineering |
Real estate/construction/building materials/engineering remained the most competitive sector for job seekers in the fourth quarter of 2018, with 45.8 applications per vacancy. Among the top ten, the competition in real estate/construction/building materials/engineering, Internet/e-commerce, and online gaming sectors eased compared to the previous quarter. The competition intensified for telecom/communication technology development and application and aerospace research and manufacturing, making them two of the top ten most competitive sectors in the fourth quarter.
Top ten most competitive sectors in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |||
Ranking | Sector | Index | Ranking in previous quarter |
1 | Real estate/construction/building materials/engineering | 45.8 | 1 |
2 | Cross-industry operation | 45.0 | 4 |
3 | Computer software | 43.7 | 5 |
4 | Internet/e-commerce | 43.5 | 2 |
5 | Funds/securities/futures/investment | 42.2 | 6 |
6 | IT services (system/data/maintenance) | 41.7 | 8 |
7 | Online gaming | 40.7 | 3 |
8 | Energy/mineral/mining/smelting | 39.8 | 7 |
9 | Telecom/communication technology development and application | 38.8 | 11 |
10 | Aerospace research and manufacturing | 38.2 | 13 |
Insurance continued to be the least competitive sector in the fourth quarter of 2018, with 14.2 applications per vacancy, followed by 17.3 for intermediary services, and 18.7 for printing/packaging/papermaking. The banking sector became less competitive with the number of applications declining 49.1% in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Least competitive sectors in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Sector | Index |
Insurance | 14.2 |
Intermediary service | 17.3 |
Printing/packaging/papermaking | 18.7 |
Inspection/testing/authentication | 18.8 |
Office supplies and equipment | 20.1 |
Banking | 21.1 |
Home furnishing/interior design/decoration | 21.2 |
Outsourcing service | 21.4 |
Processing and manufacturing (raw material processing/ mold) | 21.6 |
Entertainment/sports/leisure | 23.2 |
Supply and demand by occupation
The top ten occupations with the most vacancies for white collar workers in the fourth quarter of 2018 remained the same as in the third quarter of 2018, including sales, education/training, and sales management.
Top ten occupations with the highest job demand in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Ranking | Occupation |
1 | Sales |
2 | Education/training |
3 | Sales management |
4 | Administration/logistics/secretary |
5 | Software/internet development/system integration |
6 | Civil engineering/construction/decoration/municipal engineering |
7 | Customer service/pre-sales and after-sales support |
8 | Finance/auditing/tax |
9 | Internet product/operation management |
10 | Marketing |
The top ten occupations with the most job applications in the fourth quarter of 2018 were also the same as the previous quarter, leading by software/internet development/system integration, finance/auditing/tax, and administration/logistics/secretary.
Top ten occupations with the most job applications in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Ranking | Occupation |
1 | Software/internet development/system integration |
2 | Finance/auditing/tax |
3 | Administration/logistics/secretary |
4 | Human resources |
5 | Sales |
6 | Civil engineering/construction/decoration/municipal engineering |
7 | Sales management |
8 | Internet product/operation management |
9 | Art/design |
10 | Marketing |
The most competitive occupation in the fourth quarter of 2018 was IT quality management/testing/configuration management with 96.9 applications per vacancy, followed by 92.6 for transportation services, and 76.7 for finance/audit/tax. For the securities/futures/investment management/service, the number of job postings declined more than the number of job applications, leading to a more fierce competition.
Top 10 most competitive occupations in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |||
Ranking | Occupation | Index | Ranking in previous quarter |
1 | IT quality management/testing/configuration management | 96.9 | 2 |
2 | Transportation services | 92.6 | 1 |
3 | Finance/auditing/tax | 76.7 | 6 |
4 | Software/internet development/system integration | 70.4 | 5 |
5 | Senior management | 69.0 | 3 |
6 | Administration/logistics/secretary | 53.1 | 4 |
7 | Human resources | 52.7 | 7 |
8 | Art/design | 39.3 | 13 |
9 | Securities/futures/investment management/service | 38.1 | 12 |
10 | Purchasing/trade | 34.5 | 11 |
The least competitive occupations in the fourth quarter of 2018 were healthcare/beauty/hairdressing/bodybuilding with 10.4 applications per vacancy, followed by 12.3 for Insurance and 12.9 for sales.
Least competitive occupations in the fourth quarter of 2018 | |
Occupation | Index |
Healthcare/beauty/hairdressing/bodybuilding | 10.4 |
Insurance | 12.3 |
Sales | 12.9 |
Mechanic/operator | 13.2 |
Community/residency/housekeeping | 13.3 |
Farming/forestry/animal husbandry/fishery | 13.4 |
Chemical | 13.7 |
Cooking/catering/food R&D | 13.9 |
Education/Training | 14.7 |
Trust/warrant/auction/pawn | 15.0 |
Media Contact
Company Name: Zhaopin Limited
Contact Person: Ms. Serena Sun
Email: Send Email
Phone: (86-10) 5863 5888
Country: China
Website: https://www.zhaopin.com