Zhaopin (智联招聘) survey: over 90% of professionals plan to switch jobs in spring recruitment; only 30% expect to move in 2025

Key findings

It has been reported that Zhaopin (智联招聘), one of China’s largest recruitment platforms, found more than 90% of professionals intend to change jobs during this year’s spring recruitment window, while only about 30% say they plan to switch in 2025. The figures, published via Phoenix Tech (ifeng), point to a sharp, seasonal spike in immediate mobility intent followed by a much lower longer‑term expectation.

Context and causes

Spring recruitment in China — the major hiring drive that follows the Lunar New Year and often includes campus and corporate campaigns — can concentrate offers, signing bonuses and aggressive headhunting. It has been reported that this seasonal intensity helps explain the unusually high short‑term job‑change intent. At the same time, broader macro forces are at play: slow post‑COVID recovery, elevated youth unemployment, and restructuring in tech and export‑sensitive sectors all shape both employer demand and worker confidence.

Implications for employers and policy

For employers the survey signals renewed retention pressure and potentially higher recruiting costs in the near term. For policymakers, the divergence between immediate mobility and subdued 2025 intent underscores uncertainty in the labour market — are workers chasing short‑term gains or bracing for a tougher year ahead? And with geopolitical pressures (export controls and trade frictions) reshaping Chinese supply chains and corporate hiring strategies, will firms invest more in retention or double down on transactional hiring? The answers will matter for wages, turnover and the next hiring season.