Advanced manufacturing and the provision of services and entertainment – including pet and aged care and the production of short dramas – are powering pockets of growth in an otherwise sluggish Chinese job market, according to data from an online recruitment platform.
A report looking at third-quarter employment trends published this week by the platform, Zhaopin, said the new materials sector led all employment categories with a 66.7 per cent year-on-year increase in job postings in the period from July to September.
In the “modern services” category, the pet care industry saw job postings jump 43.7 per cent year on year, with demand for veterinarians up 128.2 per cent and 67.3 per cent more openings for pet groomers. The report linked that growth to “an upgrade in household consumption and rising emotional spending”.
“Overall, talent demand in the third quarter of 2025 closely followed China’s industrial upgrading and consumption shifts,” the platform said.
“Advanced manufacturing is driving demand for high-end technical talent, while modern services are expanding job opportunities through new consumption scenarios. Steady growth in AI and other frontier sectors is further aligning labour demand with industrial development.”
China’s urban unemployment rate remained stable at 5.2 per cent in September, edging down slightly from 5.3 per cent in August, but sentiment remains muted amid reports of lay-offs and pay cuts.
