Refer China: Who's hiring in China? These stand out in China 2025 Job Market

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While China's overall job market faces headwinds, surprising sectors are hiring aggressively—from high-tech factories to pet salons and short-drama studios.

According to Zhaopin's Q3 2025 employment report, advanced manufacturing and emotion-driven services are creating clear pockets of growth despite broader challenges.

Advanced Manufacturing Leads the Way

New materials hiring surged 66.7%, driven by AI chips, aerospace alloys, and green tech
Optoelectronics roles grew 54.2%, fueled by fibre-optic network expansion
Robotics openings jumped over 50% for debugging and algorithm engineers

"Skilled frontline operators are key to keeping production running efficiently," the report emphasized.

The Rise of Emotional Spending

Pet care emerged as a hiring hotspot, reflecting urban lifestyle shifts:

Veterinarian demand: ↑128.2%
Pet groomer openings: ↑67.3%
Overall pet industry jobs: ↑43.7%

Aging demographics also drove healthcare hiring:

Carer positions: ↑36.1%
Aged care services: ↑29.2%

Short Dramas & the "Comfort Economy"

Short-drama industry roles grew 26% year-on-year
Leisure hiring boomed as urbanites seek stress relief—from fitness coaches to massage therapists

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The Big Picture

These trends occurred against a backdrop of a stable national urban unemployment rate of 5.2% in September. The youth unemployment rate (aged 16-24, excluding students) dipped to 17.7%, down from a record 18.9% in August following a massive graduation season.

"Overall, talent demand in the third quarter of 2025 closely followed China's industrial upgrading and consumption shifts," the Zhaopin report concluded, highlighting a job market increasingly split between traditional sectors and these new, high-growth industries.