(ECNS) -- Over 40 percent of Chinese university students changed their jobs within three years of graduation to seek better opportunities, according to a joint survey by education-related firms.
More than 123,000 undergraduates and 127,000 vocational school students who graduated in 2015 participated the nationwide survey organized by MyCOS Data, a Beijing-based higher education consulting company, and Social Science Academic Press.
The survey found 34 percent of last year's graduates quit their first jobs after working less than six months, a slight increase over the 33 percent in a previous survey.
Among graduates from universities listed in the "211 Project", those with prioritized state support, the turnover rate in six months was 13 percent, while alumni of universities not listed in the project had a job-hopping rate of 26 percent.
Viewed by disciplines, students majoring in medical sciences had the lowest turnover rate of 12 percent, and those in literature and agriculture the highest at 31 percent.
The most frequently listed reasons for quitting were "limited space for development" and "low salary and benefits package."
It also found 46 percent of students changed sector they work in three years after graduation.
In the survey, 42 percent of undergraduates worked for the same employer for three years, while 8 percent had four employers.
It also found graduates working for the same company for three years earned the most at 6,487 yuan per month for undergraduates and 5,293 yuan ($807) for vocational school graduates.
