China National Nuclear Corporation, a State-owned nuclear energy giant, became a window reflecting the employment pressures faced by graduating students after announcing that its spring campus recruitment drive this year attracted nearly 1.2 million applications for jobs in 1,730 categories, highlighting the fierce competition for coveted jobs within State-owned enterprises.

The initial announcement, posted on Saturday on CNNC's recruitment WeChat account, was later deleted, sparking public debate.

According to a screengrab of the post, entitled "We Received 1,196,273 Applications" alongside a starry-eyed emoji, CNNC's recruitment drive spanned 10 cities and 14 top universities. The conglomerate announced "1,730 core position needs" involving over 100 subsidiaries, adding that more than 3,100 students attended on-site events, while 425,284 candidates submitted applications.

According to CNNC's website, the conglomerate has assets of around 1.4 trillion yuan ($191 billion) and employs some 180,000 people, including 14 academicians. A previous recruitment advertisement said this year's hires will work in areas such as nuclear science, construction and engineering, geology and minerals, and environment and chemicals.

Some argued that emphasizing the numbers was inconsiderate and failed to take applicants' feelings into account.

Hubei province-based Jimu News said in a comment that the conglomerate had used a stark contrast by selecting the biggest and the smallest numbers to glorify its attractiveness, yet such selections were not necessarily scientific and could mislead the applicants. Bragging about its "performance" in attracting resumes ignored applicants' feelings and lacks the warmth a giant conglomerate should have, it said.

On Sunday, CNNC Recruitment clarified that the number 1,730 actually referred to job categories, with approximately 8,000 anticipated hires. Each applicant may apply for up to 20 positions to facilitate better job matching, it said.

Nonetheless, that still only translates to a low rate of provisional hires, hinting at a nerve-racking situation for China's massive number of graduates who seek to enter similar State-owned enterprises, which are perceived as more stable against the backdrop of a world filled with uncertainties.

China's employment market remains stable but is under pressure. On March 9, Wang Xiaoping, minister of human resources and social security, acknowledged during a news conference at the 14th National People's Congress that job expansion remains a challenge. The country expects 12.22 million college graduates this year, intensifying competition for positions.

liangshuang@chinadaily.com.cn