People with a senior high school education make up a major part of all job seekers in labor markets, accounting for 42.1 percent, according to a survey carried out recently by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

The survey, conducted among 104 cities on their employment conditions, shows that only 21.9 percent of the job applicants have a college education.

According to the survey, 89.2 percent of employers set specific criteria for the academic background of job seekers. Those requiring a senior high school education account for 38.3 percent, and those that demand junior middle school education make up 32.1 percent. Only 18.8 percent of employers require a college education from recruits.

The 104 cities involved in the survey have 144 million urban residents, among which 62.68 million are employed, accounting for 64 percent of the country's total urban employees.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2004)