Gaokao sign-ups fall 450,000 as China's job crisis deepens

China's gaokao registrations have dropped sharply by 450,000 to 12.9 million students this year, marking the second consecutive year of decline as more teenagers opt out of pursuing academic degrees amid a challenging job market with youth unemployment exceeding 16 percent, according to data released by the Ministry of Education. The national university entrance examination is set to begin on Sunday. Analysts expect unemployment figures to worsen as a record 12.7 million university graduates are set to enter the labour market this summer, compounding competition that is already intense. The ministry said it would upgrade security measures, including intelligent screening systems to prevent high-tech cheating involving devices such as mobile phones and smart glasses. The widening decline comes as more students choose to pursue vocational programs, which typically lead to full-time work. Hundreds of parents queued at a vocational school in Beijing in May to register their children for just 30 available spots, local media reported. In Shanghai, vocational colleges have seen a 15 percent increase in enrolments for courses compared with three years ago. Chen Zhiwen, a member of the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy, said an increasing number of vocational secondary school graduates are prioritizing employment over higher education. Meanwhile, more than 700 people applied for just two positions to work as shepherds in the remote grasslands south of Mongolia, after Chinese farm owner Zuo Xiaoyong posted an online job advertisement. His ad drew 59 million views within hours on Weibo, China's equivalent of X, and garnered applications from white-collar employees in megacities like Shanghai and Chongqing, factory workers, and even university graduates. For decades, the gaokao has been known for being brutally competitive, with families often viewing the test as having the potential to make or break a young person's future. But attitudes are beginning to shift as millions of university graduates struggle to secure jobs amid China's economic slowdown, with employers often cherry-picking candidates from top universities while graduates of less-prestigious schools are frequently being overlooked. Last year, the number of sign-ups fell by 70,000 from the previous year.