Job seekers looking to second-tier cities for work

University graduates are looking to second-tier cities because of greater job opportunities and lower property prices, a recent industry report shows.

Suzhou topped a "competitive index" for cities, with an average of 90 graduates competing for each job, figures from major career portal Zhaopin.com show.

Other second-tier cities, such as Xi'an, Nanjing and Wuhan, also made it into the top 10 on the index.

Previously the most-favored city for jobs by most graduates, Beijing ranked sixth while Shanghai ranked eighth.

The latest preferences show that a popular phrase about first-tier cities losing their allure - "running away from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou" - seems to ring true.

On average, 56 people competed for each position across the nation, a slight drop from last year.

More than 7.2 million university students are expected to graduate this year, an increase of about 280,000 from last year, figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security show.

Huang Ruoshan, a senior careers counselor for Zhaopin.com, said: "Suzhou, which ranked first on the list, has been attracting a large amount of high-tech talent in recent years. It is located in the Yangtze River Delta economic circle and near the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, so many enterprises have located to Suzhou".

The economy there is highly developed and the electronics and medical industries are also prospering in Suzhou, Huang said.

Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, ranked fourth and 73 people compete for each job there on average. Huang said Xi'an is the bridgehead for development in western China and also boasts a large number of universities and research institutions, so it is natural for local students to look for a job there when they graduate.

These second-tier cities also have a high demand for skilled professionals. They have many opportunities, development platforms and clear career paths. The local government has established preferential policies to attract talents.

The number of jobs in Suzhou rose by 18 percent in the first quarter this year from the same period last year, figures from Zhaopin.com show. In Hangzhou, the number of positions offered increased by 22 percent in the first quarter from the same period a year earlier.

"Living costs such as rent are much lower in these second-tier cities than in first-tier cities. Furthermore, the living environment is better, especially in eastern second-tier cities including Hangzhou, Nanjing and Qingdao," Huang said.

Meng Guang, a senior manager at Zhaopin.com in charge of campus recruitment, said more university graduates are opting to leave Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou because of high housing prices and high work pressures, which shows that graduates are making more "rational decisions" in their careers.

Cheng Yutian, 23, a fresh graduate from Communication University of China now works as a host for Hebei Television. "The rent in Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, is much lower than in Beijing. I need to pay about 3,000 yuan ($482) a month to rent a bedroom in Beijing, but in Shijiazhuang I can rent an apartment with one living room and two bedrooms for the same price.

"I have more opportunities at the TV station, where I host three programs", Cheng said, adding that the experience is very valuable for her.

The station also recruited four of her classmates.

Careers counselor Huang suggested that, amid strong competition, job seekers should also consider other second-tier cities such as Wuxi and Ningbo, where the high-tech industry and trading are also highly developed.

"Other second-tier cities, such as Hefei, Wuhan and Chongqing, have a talent gap. Working there is also a good choice," Huang added.