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The recently released "Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" (hereinafter referred to as the "Recommendations") outlines the blueprint for China's development in the next five years. This programmatic document is related to the country's macro strategy and is also closely related to the professional future of workers.
China's job market is currently at a pivotal point of structural reshaping. Over the next five years, multiple waves, including industrial upgrading, technological transformation, and demographic adjustment, will converge, rewriting the core logic of the employment ecosystem. Reporters from the "Xinhua Deep Reading" column interviewed individuals from relevant ministries, corporate leaders, industry experts, educators, and others. Through observations across ten dimensions, they outlined the changes and opportunities in China's job market, providing a comprehensive "navigation map" of future career trends.
Spawning new jobs covering the entire chain of research and development, manufacturing, and operation
The "Recommendations" advocates for "fostering and expanding emerging and future industries" and outlines the following measures:
Focus on building emerging pillar industries - accelerate the development of four strategic emerging industry clusters, including new energy, new materials, aerospace, and low-altitude economy; plan ahead for future industries - promote six major industries, including quantum technology, bio- manufacturing, hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interface, embodied intelligence, and sixth-generation mobile communication, to become new economic growth points.
Experts believe that the cultivation and growth of these industries will give rise to new jobs covering the entire chain of industrial research and development, manufacturing, and operation, creating a new reservoir of employment opportunities.
"An important trend for emerging industries in the next five years is to accelerate 'large-scale development', which signifies a leap from 1 to 10," said Ma Jiangbo, Deputy Director of the China Economic Special Committee of the National Innovation and Development Strategy Research Association. "Large-scale development implies tremendous employment opportunities, and job seekers should look for entry points in niche markets."
Taking the low-altitude economy as an example, it is estimated that there will be a talent gap of 1 million drone operators alone in this industry. Wang Hao, director of the Industry Institute of CCID Research Institute of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that by 2030, the
market size of China's low-altitude economy is expected to exceed one trillion yuan, which will give birth to new jobs covering the entire industry chain.
Wang Hao analyzed from the perspective of the entire supply chain:
■ In the R&D and manufacturing sector, there is a strong demand for professionals such as equipment overall designers, flight control algorithm engineers, airworthiness engineers, and UAV assembly, adjustment, and maintenance personnel;
■ On the operational service side, drone fleet flight planners and low-altitude aircraft dispatch platform R&D engineers undertake air traffic management responsibilities, low-altitude data analysts optimize operational efficiency, and low-altitude scenario solution engineers are dedicated to exploring commercial applications such as logistics and inspection;
■ On the infrastructure side, electrical engineers are responsible for the construction of supporting facilities such as ground charging infrastructure, while low-altitude aviation flight procedure designers plan safe and efficient flight paths.
This talent matrix reflects the industrial characteristics of the low-altitude economy, which are "the integration of manufacturing and services, and the collaboration of software and hardware". This is also a common feature shared by multiple emerging industries.
Judging from the recently released demands in various regions, there is a robust demand for various positions in industries such as artificial intelligence, new-generation information technology, and new energy.
The newly released "Talent Demand Catalogue of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Mainland)" covers the demand level, educational requirements, and monthly salary levels for approximately 200 types of positions across 20 industries, including information technology, new energy, and advanced materials.
Among them, the positions with the highest demand in the industry include communication technology engineers, medical device researchers, photovoltaic system engineers, Java engineers, etc. Due to the rapid development of the new generation of information technology industry and ultra-high-definition video display industry, communication technology engineers and architects are particularly scarce. Those with master's degree or above in the new generation of electronic information industry are highly paid, with a monthly salary ranging from 15,000 to 40,000 yuan.
According to the demand recently released by Beijing, there is a severe talent shortage in 18 fields, including the research and development and application of 5G-A technology in the new generation of information technology industry, and the research and development of embodied intelligence technology in the artificial intelligence industry. In Shanghai, 12 in-demand occupations such as semiconductor chip manufacturing workers have been added to the integrated circuit industry, and 5 occupations such as artificial intelligence trainers have been included in the list of in-demand occupations in the artificial intelligence field.
Variations on the symphony of substitution and renewal
"Dark-lamp factories" and autonomous driving are emerging, and repetitive manual labor such as data entry, handling, and palletizing is being replaced. However, such a scene does not represent the true and complete picture of the digital economy. While AI eliminates traditional jobs, it also gives birth to a large number of new high-value-added professions, fostering new career opportunities that transition from manual production to smart production.
Over the past five years, among the 72 new professions announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, over 20 are related to artificial intelligence. It is estimated that each new profession will create employment opportunities for 300,000 to 500,000 people in the short term.
The "Recommendations" regards "deepening the construction of Digital China" as an important deployment for "accelerating high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, and leading the development of new productive forces", and proposes to "accelerate the innovation of digital and intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence" and "comprehensively implement the 'Artificial Intelligence Plus' action".
"The scale of China's core AI industry is about to exceed 600 billion yuan, and AI is deeply reshaping the employment structure. From tackling technical challenges such as large AI models, algorithms, and computing power, to promoting the deep integration of AI with manufacturing, service industries, biotechnology, and other sectors, a large number of talents are needed," said Ding Zhuang, an associate researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.
According to data from Zhaopin.com, in the first three quarters of 2025, the number of job postings in the artificial intelligence industry increased by 3% year-on-year, while the number of job seekers increased by 39% year-on-year. Among them, the demand for AI product managers and artificial intelligence engineers grew at a rate of 178% and 26% respectively.
Amidst the wave of digitalization, there is an increasing demand for the integration of technology and skills among talents at different levels.
In Shenzhen, students of an AI trainer training institution come from all walks of life, and the training business has expanded from Beijing to Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, which is far from meeting the demand. In Shanghai, Fudan University's more than 100 "AI courses" attract thousands of undergraduate and graduate students, covering all first-level disciplines.
To cope with technological shocks, it is crucial to actively embrace digital transformation. The in- depth advancement of Digital China not only spawns new job opportunities in emerging fields but also opens up transformation pathways for practitioners in traditional industries.
Taking automobile manufacturing as an example, "In the past, automobile factories mainly focused on assembly, welding, and maintenance. Nowadays, workers have shifted from 'holding wrenches' to 'adjusting systems', becoming testers and operation and maintenance personnel for intelligent connected vehicles," said Wang Hao. Workers have moved from operating equipment to managing data, and car repair technicians have become service engineers who "understand AI".
In 2024, the scale of China's intelligent connected vehicle industry exceeded one trillion yuan, and it is expected that the market size will surpass five trillion yuan by 2030. Competition among automobile companies will shift from "making cars" to "making systems" and "creating ecosystems". The skill threshold for workers will continue to rise, and those who master digital skills, artificial intelligence fundamentals, and cross-industry collaboration abilities will have broader development opportunities.
Spawning new jobs across the entire chain of research and development, manufacturing, and operations
The "Recommendations" advocates for the close integration of "benefiting people's livelihood and promoting consumption, investing in material resources and investing in human capital". Life-oriented service industries related to improving people's livelihood, such as healthcare, elderly care, childcare, and
housekeeping, will absorb more labor force.
According to a report from ZhiLian, the number of jobs in the elderly care/nursing industry in the third quarter of this year increased by 29.2% year-on-year, with the demand for nursing assistants and rehabilitation therapists growing at rates of 36.1% and 25.7%, respectively.
"China has a population of over 1.4 billion, and in the next decade or so, the middle-income group will exceed 800 million, presenting a huge market potential." Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, proposed to vigorously boost consumption and make both goods and services consumption "flourish".
Regarding the "expansion of service consumption" proposed in the "Suggestions", He Qin, the Party Secretary of the School of Labor Economics at Capital University of Economics and Business, stated that the rapidly developing high-tech industries mainly attract highly educated professional and technical talents. From the perspective of employment growth volume alone, the main battlefield is the service industry.
She believes that refinement and specialization are the future direction for the development of the service industry. While expanding more employment opportunities, it also forces the service industry to strengthen professional standardization and standardized governance, further optimizing the user experience to attract consumers.
The productive service sectors, represented by modern logistics, technology services, and the digital economy, have seen rapid development and are accelerating to become important areas for job creation. "The development of these employment forms is largely attributed to the reduction in transaction costs and the expansion of service radius brought about by the unified large market," said Su Lifeng, a researcher at the National Institute of Opening-Up Studies at the University of International Business and Economics. The "Suggestions" emphasize "resolutely removing bottlenecks and obstacles that hinder the construction of a unified national large market," which will reshape China's employment ecosystem and create broader development space for workers.
With the innovation in service industry models, experts believe that this will give rise to three new types of jobs: first, digital service-related roles, such as user experience designers and short video operators; second, experience economy-related roles, such as immersive entertainment planners; and third, social service-related roles, such as home organization consultants. These professions place a strong emphasis on the "combination of hard and soft skills" required of workers - hard skills include data analysis and platform operation, while soft skills encompass emotional intelligence, creativity, and the ability to empathize with others.
Currently, in China, the proportion of employed personnel in the tertiary industry, specifically in the service sector, has exceeded 48%. "Compared to developed countries where the employment in the service sector accounts for over 70%, there is still considerable room for growth in China's service sector employment," Su Lifeng opined. She believed that the proportion of employment in the service sector is expected to rise to around 55% in the next five years.
Demand will become more diversified
Shuttling through the streets and alleys to fulfill online household service orders - in Dongyang, Zhejiang, 20-year-old Li Chen works part-time to save money while persisting in practicing art, thinking that once he has enough money, he will pursue his dream of painting;
Packaging plush toys - In Xiangtan, Hunan Province, "mommy" Peng Siqi works in a flexible job with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan and is paid by piece. She leads a life of "immediately going to work after sending her child off, and picking up her child right after getting off work.";
Serving customers and brewing coffee - In Dalian, Liaoning, Zhang Yue, a medical worker, opened a community coffee shop after retirement, hoping to revive her former dreams
From food delivery riders to ride-hailing drivers, from online broadcasters to content creators, flexible employment, with its low threshold and high flexibility, provides a vast employment space for workers of different ages and skill levels.
According to the data from the Ninth National Survey on the Status of the Workforce, there are 84 million workers in new forms of employment across the country. The total number of various types of flexible employees has exceeded 200 million.
Yu Han, an associate professor at the School of Economics and Management of Communication University of China, stated that the market is creating more new job opportunities with high added value and diversification, meeting the diverse employment needs of workers.
New challenges cannot be ignored either. In the new employment patterns, a high proportion of work is done through single mechanization, limiting the skill development of workers. Many flexible employees face unstable income and limited basic security. Especially under the algorithm-driven framework, workers experience long working hours and high pressure, affecting their physical and mental health.
The "Recommendations" puts forward measures such as "promoting high-quality and full employment" and "improving the social security system", and outlines strategies for "promoting the healthy development of flexible employment and new forms of employment", "establishing and improving the occupational injury insurance system", and "increasing the insurance participation rate of flexible employees, migrant workers, and personnel in new forms of employment".
The cancellation of overtime fines, the proactive risk management through AI security prevention and control systems, and the expansion of pilot projects for occupational injury insurance for workers in new employment forms... With the concerted efforts of policies and platforms, the rights and interests of workers in new employment forms will be better protected.
Global talents are in high demand
The "Recommendations" has made a series of arrangements for expanding high-level opening-up in the next five years. Experts believe that the impact of relevant policies on employment trends will be reflected in aspects such as sector renewal, spatial expansion, and skill upgrading.
In the golden autumn season, the International Trade City in Yiwu, Zhejiang, is bustling with crowds. The scene at the special recruitment event for trade talents at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center is lively and extraordinary. "The overseas market is expanding rapidly, and our company urgently needs three employees who are proficient in Spanish," said the person in charge of an import and export company in Yiwu.
More and more small and micro enterprises, as well as individual businesses, have started international trade through cross-border e-commerce, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors for employment.
"From the live streaming room at the front end to supply chain management in the back office, to overseas brand planning and product development for enterprises, there is a diverse demand for talents in cross-border e-commerce, with numerous job opportunities," said Bi Chunyuan, General Manager of Guangxi Liya E-commerce Co., Ltd.
Bi Chunyuan said that earlier, when enterprises were selling products through live streaming in Southeast Asian countries, there was a strong demand for talents with proficiency in "minor languages +". Now, when it comes to connecting Chinese brands with overseas markets, there is a need for both international trade talents who are familiar with local consumption habits, legal environments, and international trade rules, as well as professionals in domestic supply chain management, such as logistics and transportation, warehousing management, and other related fields.
Driven by the continuous expansion of high-level opening-up, a new ecosystem featuring the dual- wheel strategy of "service trade + manufacturing capacity" for going global is taking shape. A report by the Research Group of the Employment Promotion Professional Committee of the Labor Economics Society predicts that by 2030, China's cross-border e-commerce express delivery market will directly and indirectly create approximately 45 million jobs, with college graduates accounting for over 30% of these positions.
In the view of Wang Wentao, Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, China's advantages in achieving high-level opening-up include its ultra-large market, complete industrial chain, and continuously enhanced technological innovation capabilities.
The "Recommendations" clearly sets the policy tone of steadily expanding institutional opening-up. This means that as China participates in global governance on a larger scale, in broader fields, and at a deeper level, globalized talents who are proficient in international rules and possess cross-cultural communication skills will become scarce resources.
In the upcoming Hainan Free Trade Port, which is about to be sealed off for operation, an international talent ecosystem has been established through policy innovations such as the "Regulations on Promoting the Development of Talents in Hainan Free Trade Port". In the 2025 Hainan Provincial "Sealing Off to Expand New Bureaus·Four Cities Jointly Handling" campus recruitment event that concluded at the end of October, over 280 employers brought more than 8,000 high-quality positions to Beijing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Changsha, sparking a wave of talent recruitment and attracting intelligence. The job demands cover fields such as tourism, education, scientific research, economy, finance, healthcare, Internet, aerospace, and more.
Rural revitalization brings opportunities for new farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs
New farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs are driving the continuous emergence of new business forms, models, and scenarios, injecting new vitality into rural development.
In Lizu Village, Jinhua, Zhejiang, rural entrepreneurs have inspired many villagers to join the entrepreneurial boom, operating farms and setting up parent-child classes. Last year, the per capita disposable income of the villagers reached 66,000 yuan;
In Reshui Village, Qujing, Yunnan, the rural CEO explored the path to revitalizing hot spring resources, resulting in an increase of over 500,000 yuan in the village's collective income;
In Hefang Village, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, the "industrial village chief" has contracted over 200 acres of land to grow fruits and cucumbers, innovating the production and marketing model, and driving the joint income increase of over 100 neighboring villagers.
"Empowering traditional agriculture with industrialized thinking can revitalize the sericulture industry," said Li Xueyan, a national youth pioneer in rural revitalization, highlighting the new possibilities that young people bring to the vast rural areas. Under her leadership, the mulberry tree planting area in Sanlian Village, Yingde City, Guangdong Province, has reached 13,000 mu, with an output value exceeding 100 million yuan, and has driven the employment of more than 3,000 people.
Data shows that there are over 23 million rural skilled workers nationwide, including 8 million high-quality farmers who have been trained. The total number of migrant workers in China is nearly 300 million, but the proportion of those leaving for other places is declining, with local employment accounting for over 40%.
The "Recommendations" advocates for "accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, and solidly promoting comprehensive rural revitalization", and outlines a series of measures such as "promoting the deep integration of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas, cultivating and expanding rural specialty industries, improving mechanisms for linking and supporting farmers, promoting stable income growth for farmers", and "encouraging various talents to serve, start businesses, and seek employment in rural areas".
Li Yu, Deputy Director of the Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Policy Evaluation Research Office of the China Academy of Personnel Science, analyzed that measures such as developing county-level economies with distinctive characteristics have stimulated employment potential in areas like rural construction and rural governance. Nearby employment channels have been continuously expanded, attracting more migrant workers to return home for employment and entrepreneurship.
Currently, there are over 12 million entrepreneurs returning to their hometowns across the country. More and more young college students, urban white-collar workers, and others are seizing the opportunity to accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, returning home with skills, capital, and other resources to start businesses. New professions such as rural collective economic managers have emerged.
How can we ensure that talents can stay and thrive in rural areas? Relevant measures are being implemented: strengthening the training of farmers' technical skills, promoting the rural craftsman cultivation project; creating a favorable entrepreneurial environment, implementing a series of grassroots service projects; opening up data ports, building a service ecosystem tailored to rural entrepreneurial scenarios
Li Yu said that we should retain people with the beautiful and livable rural environment, and continuously address concerns such as career development and social security.
New business forms and new tracks are in shortage of high-level talents
Xuanxuan, a netizen engaged in Internet plus operations in Chengdu, tried her hand at short drama scriptwriting in her spare time in February this year. She explained that the guaranteed income for a script with 60 to 80 episodes is about 40,000 yuan, and then there are commissions based on the performance of the traffic. "Online scriptwriters don't need to go to the shooting site, so they have more freedom in terms of time."
According to the "2025 Beijing Human Resources Market Salary Data Report (Third Quarter)", there is a strong demand for talents in Beijing's digital cultural tourism industry, with positions such as VR/AR development engineers and cultural tourism IP operation managers being particularly favored. The median monthly salaries for these positions reach 33,157 yuan and 23,517 yuan respectively.
"Culture is no longer just a soft power, but a hard industry, and the market urgently needs versatile talents," said Su Lifeng. In the future, the most marketable talents will be "cultural creative engineers" who understand cultural narratives and are skilled in technical implementation.
In 2024, China's cultural industry achieved an operating revenue of approximately 19.14 trillion yuan, with per capita expenditure on education, culture, and entertainment increasing by 9.8%. The cultural industry is becoming a vital source of driving economic growth and leading consumption upgrading.
As we enter the "15th Five-Year Plan" era, the richer the material life of the people becomes, the more prominent their spiritual and cultural needs become, and the more they rely on high-quality cultural products and services. The "Recommendations" proposes to cultivate a large-scale, well-structured, and innovative team of high-level cultural talents, "implement proactive cultural and economic policies," and "develop new cultural formats.".
The "Recommendations" advocates for the integration of culture and technology, promoting the digital and intelligent empowerment of cultural construction and its transformation towards informatization. With the deep integration of new technologies and the cultural industry, a host of new professions have emerged, such as AIGC animators and virtual scene planners.
In the next five years, there will be a robust demand for talents with a combination of "culture+ technology". It is predicted that by 2030, China's job demand for virtual reality talents will exceed 6.8 million.
Taking "virtual reality content creators" as an example, they not only need to master 3D modeling and interactive design, but also possess storytelling abilities. The demand for such talents in gaming, education, and other fields is robust, with salaries increasing by over 10% annually.
Among the 29 new general undergraduate majors established by the Ministry of Education this year, nearly a quarter focus on the digital cultural industry. Some institutions have taken the lead in cultivating talents with a combination of "culture + technology".
In 2024, new cultural business forms achieved an operating revenue of approximately 6.66 trillion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.4%, leading the growth rate of the entire cultural industry. Zhang Linshan, Director of the Research Office of the National Development and Reform Commission's Academy of Macroeconomics, stated that as the proportion of cultural service industries increases, it is expected to create millions of jobs annually, suitable for young people and high-skilled talents.
The silver economy drives employment expansion
At the crack of dawn, 49-year-old Wang Rufang rushes to Grandpa Chen's house in Hai'an, Jiangsu. She bathes, wipes, and cleans up after the elderly man... Every day, she travels to different households, providing home care for seven disabled patients.
In April this year, Wang Rufang passed the exam and became one of the first batch of "long-term care workers" nationwide, earning a monthly salary of 7,200 yuan and enjoying five insurances and one fund, with a 50% increase in income compared to before obtaining the certificate.
Currently, there are over 44 million disabled and semi-disabled elderly people in China, and the supply gap of elderly care workers is about 5.5 million. Li Lu, a researcher at the Institute of Social Development of the China Academy of Macroeconomics, believes that from the perspective of elderly care service supply, "rigid demands" such as meal assistance, bath assistance, and rehabilitation care have not been effectively met.
The policy level is responding actively. The "Suggestions" clearly propose to improve the care system for the disabled and demented elderly, and expand the supply of rehabilitation care and hospice services. Previously, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and other departments jointly issued a special document, placing the cultivation of professional talents in a prominent position.
As of 2024, approximately 4,000 programs related to elderly care have been established in colleges and vocational schools nationwide, covering directions such as nursing and elderly care service management.
Zhu Enguo, 24, has been working as a caregiver in a rehabilitation hospital in Pinghu, Zhejiang for nearly a year. Before taking up the job, he received practical training in cleaning care, feeding care, and other aspects. Zhu Enguo jokingly calls himself the "temporary grandson" of the elderly. He admits that compared to professional skills, what is more needed is patience.
"Elderly care is not a sunset industry, but a sunrise profession," said Su Lifeng. The elderly care industry is giving birth to a trillion-yuan market, but it also faces challenges such as ideological constraints, skill shortages, and inadequate compensation and benefits.
During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the dual measures of "actively responding to population aging" and "actively developing human resources for the elderly" will be implemented. Lei Haichao, director of the National Health Commission, stated that efforts will be made to promote the concepts of "providing for the elderly" and "making the elderly feel useful," and to develop the silver economy.
In Xuchang, Henan, 27-year-old Fan Jinlin runs five nursing homes. Here, the elderly gather to play esports, make short videos, and play " Werewolf". The nursing homes have become "elderly kindergartens", attracting the attention of netizens.
Fan Jinlin has a new media team of more than ten people, who nurture the development of elderly care services through content creation and traffic monetization. He also founded an elderly club, organizing an elderly modeling team and a rock band, attracting more than 800 members. Fan Jinlin said that nursing homes should provide emotional value and truly make elderly care a "way to enjoy old age".
From basic care to quality service upgrades, the silver economy is showing a high degree of professional segmentation. Elderly care services are transitioning from being "done by anyone" to being "done by dedicated personnel". A new employment landscape, which embodies both social warmth and contains opportunities, is emerging.
High-quality positions that combine stability and growth
On November 3rd, Xiao Lin, an operation and maintenance administrator at the wind farm and energy storage power station in Nankang District, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, was conducting routine inspections to ensure the normal operation of equipment and efficient power dispatch.
Last July, energy storage power station operation and maintenance administrator was recognized as a new profession. The industry predicts that by 2030, the demand for operation and maintenance personnel for energy storage power stations will exceed 100,000.
The development of green industries has given rise to new green job categories. The Occupational Classification Code of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition) includes 134 green occupations, accounting for approximately 8% of the total number of occupations. In recent years, the number of green job-related positions has increased tenfold.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, there will be approximately 100,000 practitioners in China's "dual carbon" field, which particularly calls for interdisciplinary and composite talents. Taking "green building designer" as an example, not only is it necessary to master hard technologies such as sustainable materials and energy consumption simulation, but also to possess ecological design concepts and cross-disciplinary collaboration abilities.
"The scale of China's green and low-carbon industries is about 11 trillion yuan, and there is still room for a doubling or even greater growth in the next five years," said Zheng Zhajie, director of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Green employment is emerging as a new blue ocean, where success is not determined by "996" work schedules but by innovation and sustainability. Su Lifeng stated that these positions are primarily driven by policies such as the "dual carbon" goals and market forces like the ESG investment boom, offering both stability and growth potential.
At Erdos Vocational College, the photovoltaic panels installed on campus are particularly eye- catching. In December last year, the college introduced a new major in photovoltaic engineering technology, and students have already been "booked" by enterprises before they even enroll.
"Order classes" like "enrolling means joining the workforce" are not uncommon in the new energy industry. For instance, Nanjing Changan, a new energy vehicle company, collaborates with Nanjing City Vocational College to cultivate automotive manufacturing engineers; Southwest Petroleum University and Tongwei Solar Energy have established a photovoltaic industry talent class, which has trained over 600 talents in total.
The "Recommendations" emphasizes the "synergistic promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth". This "one plus one minus" approach opens up new employment opportunities. Zhang Linshan believes that green transformation will shift from large-scale expansion to refined and systematic innovation, breaking through the dilemma of "involution" and unlocking potential for job creation.
Pei Jiansuo, Vice Dean of the School of Applied Economics at Renmin University of China, said that China's manufacturing industry has been ranked first globally for 15 consecutive years, with 80% being traditional industries. The green transformation of these industries will release a huge "green dividend".
In Ejin Horo Banner, Erdos City, Inner Mongolia, the world's first "wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage" zero-carbon industrial park has gathered more than 10 leading new energy enterprises, driving the employment of over 40,000 people. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China will also strive to build around 100 national-level zero-carbon parks, and similar employment opportunities will continue to emerge.
The "Recommendations" also explicitly outlines the development of future industries such as hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy. "It is expected that millions of new jobs will be created in fields such as hydrogen energy," said Zhang Linshan. The goal of green industries and high-tech industries is interlinked, and the new scale in the next 10 years is equivalent to "creating another high-tech industry".
From "Peacocks fly southeast" to common prosperity across the entire region
Li Xing, a graduate from a 985 Project university in the central region, initially worked in Beijing for 2 years before returning to his hometown, Jungar Banner, Inner Mongolia, where he works as an engineer in an energy enterprise. Before returning home, he weighed the career prospects in big cities and his hometown, and felt that his hometown had distinctive industrial characteristics and great development potential. In the past three years, both his position and income have improved.
Li Xing's experience is a microcosm of the changes in the traditional employment pattern.
The "Recommendations" advocates for "leveraging the synergistic effects of the coordinated regional development strategy, major regional strategies, main functional area strategy, and new urbanization strategy.".
Lu Zhe, Chief Economist of Soochow Securities, said that the coordinated regional development strategy mainly addresses the issue of uneven development; the major regional strategy mainly addresses the leadership of "growth poles"; the main functional area strategy mainly addresses the issue of "space utilization"; and the new urbanization strategy mainly addresses population mobility and urban-rural development issues. The combined effect of these four strategies means that all spatial planning policies must cooperate with each other to form a synergistic force.
Zhang Linshan stated that with the implementation of regional strategies, the geographical space for employment will undergo a restructuring from "unidirectional flow" to "multi-center agglomeration". The trend of talent flow will shift from "peacocks flying southeast" and "congregating in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou" to overall prosperity across the region and "migrating according to the industrial map".
According to Liepin's "2025 Third Quarter Talent Supply and Demand Insight Report", industrial resources are diffusing and rebalancing within the core city circles across the country. Cities such as Suzhou, Chengdu, Changsha, Chongqing, Nanjing, and Wuhan have experienced explosive growth, leveraging their respective manufacturing foundations, cost advantages, or policy support to undertake technology spillovers and production capacity layouts from first-tier cities, initially forming a trend of regional coordinated development.
With the rise of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, the Yangtze River Middle Reaches urban agglomeration, regional central cities, and the accelerated modernization of the eastern region, future employment opportunities will exhibit a multipolar and networked distribution. Talents can choose between multiple national-level growth poles and regional centers. Zhang Linshan said that the Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao continue to attract high-skilled talents due to the agglomeration of high-end industries. Emerging industrial highlands in the west, such as Yibin and Baotou, have created a large number of jobs due to industries such as new energy equipment, becoming new hotspots for the influx of skilled talents.
The "Recommendations" emphasizes "advancing people-oriented new urbanization". Experts believe that transitioning from "increasing urbanization rate" to "people-oriented new urbanization" will reshape the spatial structure of employment, industrial carriers, and job types.
The "Recommendations" also emphasizes "promoting urbanization with county towns as important carriers". Experts believe that this will drive the rise of "county employment circles", which will cover multiple business formats such as manufacturing, logistics, e-commerce, cultural tourism, and elderly care, with county towns as the carriers.
In the next five years, China's job market will exhibit an overall trend of stable total volume, optimized structure, and improved quality. When we ask: What qualities of talents are most needed under the new technological transformation? The keywords we receive are highly similar: curiosity, self-motivation, human-machine collaboration ability, cross-disciplinary skills, and especially lifelong learning ability.
A new landscape of China's employment market is unfolding. With the joint efforts of the government, enterprises, educational institutions, and individuals, a high-quality employment ecosystem featuring precise job-personnel matching, continuous skill upgrading, and full protection of rights and interests will enable workers to realize their own value in the tide of the times.
Reproduced from: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security
