Gloria Li is desperate to find a job. Graduating in June with a master’s degree in graphic design, she started looking last fall, hoping to find an entry-level position that pays about $1,000 a month in a big city in central China. The few offers she has gotten are internships that pay $200 to $300 a month, with no benefits.
Over two days in May, she messaged more than 200 recruiters and sent her resume to 32 companies — and lined up exactly two interviews. She said she would take any offer, including sales, which she was reluctant to consider previously.
"A decade or so ago, China was thriving and full of opportunities,” she said in a phone interview. "Now, even if I want to strive for opportunities, I don’t know which direction I should turn to.”