On January 29, Zhaopin released the "2025 China Returnee Employment Survey Report." The report, based on the platform's big data, analyzes the scale of overseas returnees seeking employment in China, their industry distribution, and shifts in corporate demand. Data reveals that the number of fresh graduate overseas students returning to China for jobs in 2025 increased by 12% year-on-year, hitting an 8-year high, with returnee talent accelerating their concentration into fields related to new quality productive forces.
The report indicates that, in terms of overall scale, the number of returnees seeking jobs domestically in 2025 grew by 5% compared to 2024, reaching 1.51 times the 2018 level; specifically, the number of fresh graduate returnees job hunting grew to 2.25 times the 2018 figure. The structure of study destinations has also shifted, with the UK, Australia, and the US remaining the primary source countries, but the number of returnees from Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore saw year-on-year growth rates exceeding 50%, becoming significant contributors to the new increments.
In terms of educational background and major structure, returnees seeking jobs are predominantly highly educated, with master's degrees and above accounting for over 80%. Regarding major distribution, traditional fields such as finance, accounting, and law still hold a certain proportion, while majors related to new-generation information technology and high-end equipment, including computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, and materials science, have moved to the forefront, overall aligning with the development direction of new quality productive forces.
On the recruitment side, traditional industries that absorb returnees, such as education and training, consulting services, and trade, still account for a large share, but demand growth in the new quality productive forces sector is pronounced. It is reported that average monthly salaries in industries like pharmaceutical manufacturing, electronics/semiconductors, and new energy generally exceed 15,000 yuan, with compensation even higher in some technology-intensive industries.
Regarding job position structure, corporate demand for returnees exhibits a dual focus on "technology R&D" and "overseas market expansion," requiring both scientific research and engineering talent, as well as versatile professionals with international market experience. From job-seeking behavior, returnee applications remain concentrated in industries like internet, education and training, and consulting services, but application growth rates have significantly increased in fields such as new materials, optoelectronics, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Among these, applications for technical positions like AI engineer have grown rapidly.
In terms of geographical preference, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen remain the primary destination cities, but the growth rate of applications to third- and fourth-tier cities has surpassed that of first-tier cities, indicating a certain下沉趋势 (downward trend).