Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, had attracted 2,904 college graduates as part of its program to introduce skilled workers by the end of November 2018, a year-on-year increase of 10 percent, according to a recent announcement by the local human resource department. 

Among the new arrivals were four doctorate holders, 194 individuals with a master’s degree, and 2,127 with a bachelor’s degree. 

The past year also saw an increase in the number of locals returning to Qidong after having studied in other areas of the country. 

According to statistics, a total of 1,240 college students from Qidong returned to the city following graduation. Among them, 657 held a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification –– a 20 percent increase on 2017. 

Qidong, located in the southeastern corner of Jiangsu province, has struggled to attract enough skilled workers in recent years, as many locals opt to work in larger nearby cities, such as Shanghai. 

In order to tackle worker shortages, the local human resource department in Qidong initiated a skilled worker introduction program at the beginning of 2018. 

The program authorizes allowances to be provided to graduates working in the city, and unlike many similar programs in other cities, the subsidies are generally available to graduates wherever they studied –– not just China’s elite tier of universities.   

In addition, the allowances for college graduates have recently been increased to 4,000 yuan ($583) for a doctorate holder, 2,500 yuan for graduates with a master’s degree, and 1,500 yuan for graduates with a bachelor’s qualification from one of the country’s top universities. 

And a high-level professional worker that holds a doctorate will receive a 10,000 yuan allowance per month. 

In total, 5.6 million yuan was paid to graduate workers last year, representing an annual increase of nearly 80 percent.

The local human resource department has worked hard to promote its new incentives, with events such as roadshows and competitions held throughout 2018. And around 100 companies have been organized to attend recruitment events at universities.