The state of the job market
1. With the increase of unemployment rate, the proportion of graduates absorbed by the market has a downward trend.
According to a recent report released by the US Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in the United States has risen to 6. 1%, the highest level in nine years, and nearly 9 million people are unemployed. The employment prospect survey recently released by Milwaukee Human Resources Company shows that the current employment prospect in the United States is the worst in 12 years. From America? Since the recovery from recession at the end of 20001,the unemployment problem has been worsening, and the United States has lost more than 2 million jobs. The "9. 1 1" incident, the frequent exposure of scandals of several major American companies, the second Gulf War and the SARS storm also had a negative impact on the American economy, and many enterprises laid off employees one after another, thus making the employment problem of American college students more serious. According to the research of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the total number of new college students planned to be recruited by employers in 20001-2002 decreased by 36% compared with the previous year. 2 1302, the proportion of college graduates absorbed by the overall job market in the United States decreased 1/3 compared with the previous year. At present, although the employment prospects of a few industries are good, the employment ratio of college students will drop again 1/3, and nearly half of them will join the unemployed army directly after graduation.
2. The demand structure of talents has changed, and the knowledge economy requires talents to improve their academic qualifications.
In recent years, the United States has gradually transformed from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge-based economy, and the employment model has also changed accordingly, which has raised the educational requirements for employees. 2.6 million people were laid off in various factories, mainly concentrated in manufacturing and transportation industries with low academic requirements. In sharp contrast to the shrinking proportion of manufacturing in the American economy, the proportion of service industry is increasing. However, many people laid off from the manufacturing industry can't find jobs because they lack the skills and knowledge related to the service industry. People with low education have higher unemployment rate. For example, in February 2000165438, the unemployment rate of people with high school education was 8.3%, while that of people with college education was 3%. From June 5438 to October 2003 10, the unemployment rate of people with bachelor degree or above rose from 3.0% to 3. 1%. The unemployment rate of people with ordinary university education is stable at 4.8%. Since June 5438+ 10 this year, the unemployment rate of high school graduates has increased from 8.5% to 9.2%, and that of high school graduates has increased from 5. 1% to 5.5%. "The talent market in the United States shows that the higher the education level, the more stable the employment.
(B) Employment concept and social mentality
Although it is not easy for college students to find jobs, the mentality of American society, the public, students and parents is stable. Through interviews with more than 60 professors, experts, college students, international students, administrators, parents and other personnel in American universities, the author found that they generally held a stable attitude towards the employment difficulty of college students after graduation, which was manifested in the following three aspects:
1. Survival is the cornerstone of ideal. Feed yourself first, then realize your ideal, and don't rush for success.
Employment, first of all, is to find a job, the ideal is to proceed from reality, can not find a professional counterpart, does not mean losing the ideal. A public opinion survey conducted by a website dedicated to serving graduate students found that 80% of the respondents thought that "as long as there is a job", "everyone who is looking for a job is doing it". Graduation does not mean that you must realize your career ideal. You have to live before you talk about your ideals. Faced with employment difficulties, many college graduates have a stable mentality, accept the reality, lower their requirements and actively adapt.
2. Face the reality, adjust yourself and respond positively.
Many students can't find a suitable job after graduation, so they take a positive attitude and study a second major while working. For example, in an interview, a student with a master's degree in economics can't find a job in this major all his life. She took a part-time job and chose an accounting major that was easy to find a job. She believes that although this is not the original ideal, in the face of reality, she must adjust her life course, and only by adapting to society can she find her own position. A professor's parents think that it is a good experience for college students who can't find a job to study another degree, so that they can learn how to integrate with society.
3. Choosing the major of study and employment is the embodiment of one's ability, focusing on one's responsibility.
The values of American culture emphasize personal ability and employment, which is the embodiment of personal viability. Such problems should not be blamed on the government, and the responsibility for solving them should be borne by the government itself. Therefore, the overall mentality of American society is stable, and the public's responsibility for such problems is often scattered on individuals, rather than forming a pressure problem for the whole society.
Second, the United States promotes the employment of college students.
(1) Colleges and universities: Strengthen the reform of personnel training, emphasize the adaptation to social needs, and improve the employment adaptability of college students.
In the process of the popularization of higher education, the competition between colleges and universities is intensified, and the employment of students directly affects the survival of schools. Therefore, strengthening the reform of personnel training, improving the quality of education and students' employability, and adapting to social needs have become the main theme of higher education reform.
1. Emphasize general education and interdisciplinary, and improve comprehensive quality and adaptability.
General education is an important feature of undergraduate education in American universities. "In the United States, it is generally defined as education that serves students' intellectual, emotional and social development in addition to major and minor professional education, mainly including education in humanities, social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, information technology applications, foreign languages, and multiculturalism. "Every school requires everyone to take a certain number of general education courses, usually in the first two years of college. General education is conducive to cultivating compound talents with a wide range of knowledge, ensuring students' all-round development, improving students' comprehensive quality and employment ability to adapt to different jobs.
American universities attach great importance to the cross-infiltration of arts and sciences. Many major problems in today's world need to be solved from a multidisciplinary perspective with a variety of knowledge. Therefore, it is the direction of teaching reform to set up interdisciplinary comprehensive courses and cultivate compound talents with wide caliber and thick foundation. In recent years, many famous universities have set up special funds and interdisciplinary teaching and research centers to encourage the cross-infiltration of arts and sciences, actively promote the development of marginal disciplines and broaden students' employment horizons.
2. Strengthen practical application and research ability, and cultivate innovative spirit.
In the main channel of teaching, teachers pay attention to the improvement of application ability and the cultivation of innovation ability. Teachers generally don't talk about the content of textbooks in class (students teach themselves), but give the lesson plans to students at the beginning, and mainly use group discussion to solve practical problems in class. Teachers ask questions, discuss in groups, use the theories and viewpoints of books, find out solutions, and finally report by means of speeches, web pages, summaries, etc. It not only improves the ability to analyze and solve problems, but also cultivates the spirit of cooperation and coordination, so that students can learn to combine book knowledge with society, be good at finding problems and solve problems creatively. At the same time, pay attention to carry out a lot of social practice and scientific research activities in teaching. Half of the courses are arranged for internships in relevant societies, museums and other units, so that theoretical study and practice can be combined; Another feature is that students are required to write a large number of small papers, encourage students to have their own opinions and creativity, guide students to engage in scientific research activities, and write papers with tutors. From 65438 to 0999, the federal government also promulgated the living allowance regulations to encourage students to engage in scientific research activities.
3. Reform school teaching according to market demand.
Education in the United States is decentralized, and the organization and management of education belong to state and local governments. Universities enjoy full autonomy in administration, professor evaluation and appointment, enrollment, fund raising and distribution, discipline and specialty setting, and students' course selection. Schools can adjust flexibly and independently according to social and market needs, so they can reflect social needs quickly, and have strong adaptability and competitiveness. Because of its powerful self-regulation mechanism and ability, it weakens the lag of school education, enhances adaptability and improves employment rate.
4. Improve employment service agencies and strengthen employment guidance.
American colleges and universities generally have graduate employment guidance centers to provide career guidance and employment services, with sufficient funds, lean and efficient institutions and modern means. The center has established a special website to provide free guidance and training, including through-train services from students' professional choice, systematic career planning and career selection skills to graduation employment consultation. At the same time, American universities also provide effective employment information services for graduates. The center has a nationwide online employment information inquiry system for students to consult at any time, provide various employment consulting services, recommend students to employers, hold career exchange lectures, receive employers to come to the school for interviews, and bridge the gap between students and recruiting units. The success rate of graduates recommended by schools is usually higher than other channels.
(B) all aspects, do their job, strengthen the employment of college students.
The United States implements the system of graduates' self-employment, which is not directly regulated by the government, but the labor department, universities, intermediaries, employers and other aspects perform their duties and cooperate with each other.
1. government: organize employment surveys and formulate relevant policies and measures to promote the solution of employment problems.
The Ministry of Labor is mainly responsible for formulating macro policies and employment surveys. Its Bureau of Employment Statistics collects data from all over the country, collects the demand of the job market, analyzes the demand of all walks of life and the requirements of different occupations for knowledge and skills, predicts the impact of economic development on future employment and employment environment in the next decade, and makes fine adjustments every two years. The results of this prediction are published to the public in the form of internet and publications. The handbook edited and published with these data is very popular, and almost all American college students have one.
Choosing a job begins in middle school. According to government regulations, every middle school should be equipped with educational tutors in the ratio of 1:750- 1 0,000. Their duties include organizing special lectures and consulting guidance regularly, guiding middle school students to get in touch with the society, understanding the reality and development of related majors in society, considering and choosing their own development direction as soon as possible in combination with their own interests, so that they can know fairly well after entering the university. In addition, the government adopts fiscal and taxation policies to stimulate the economy and increase employment; Support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises; Develop information industry and promote the development of service industry; Increase employment through government subsidies; Labor dispatch companies seek flexible jobs for the unemployed; Implement a series of training programs and other measures to promote college students' employment.
2. Intermediary institutions: play a bridge role between schools, graduates and employers.
There are some non-profit organizations in America, which play an important role in students' employment. For example, the National Association of Colleges and Employers owns more than 1800 colleges and universities and 1900 employers as its members, providing employment services for more than10 million college students every year. As a bridge between employers and students, associations promote students' employment; Periodicals are also published every year to investigate and analyze the current situation, market demand, development trend and legal issues encountered in job hunting and recruitment. One of the most famous magazines is Career Choice, which is listed as a guide book for students' employment by many schools.
3. Employers: Strengthen the collaborative and rapid employment mechanism, and pay attention to practical experience in selecting graduates.
The employment mechanism in American society runs smoothly, the market regulation is flexible and coordinated, and the information feedback is fast. Employers pay attention to strengthening their coordinated and efficient employment mechanism, so that the allocation of social human resources is faster and more coordinated, and graduates are more efficient in choosing jobs. At the same time, American employers attach great importance to students' practical experience. In order to help students accumulate relevant experience, most units provide paid internship opportunities, and some units offer salaries similar to those of new employees. Among them, students with practical experience have a higher employment rate.
Thirdly, the employment situation of American college students brings enlightenment to the employment of China college students.
In the process of implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, China's higher education has developed rapidly. 19 Four years later, it continued to expand enrollment on a large scale, and the gross enrollment rate of higher education has now reached 17%, which has entered the internationally recognized stage of higher education popularization. However, the continuous expansion of the enrollment scale of colleges and universities has not only increased the opportunities for schooling and promoted economic development, but also brought about the practical problem of difficult employment for college students. If this contradiction and problem are not solved, it will certainly affect the sustained, coordinated and healthy development of China's higher education, and even affect social stability. As the country with the fastest development and the highest degree of popularization of higher education, the employment problems of college students in the process of American higher education and the employment measures adopted are exactly the problems faced in the process of popularization of higher education in China. Through the analysis of the employment situation of college students in the United States, it also brings some enlightenment to the employment of college students in China and provides some experience for solving the employment problem of college students in China.
Government: Strengthen macro-control, improve the employment market, establish information network and provide employment guidance.
One of the social objective reasons for the employment difficulties of college students in China is that the reform of labor, personnel system, household registration, file management system and social security system is not in place and imperfect. Therefore, the government must speed up the reform of labor and personnel system, household registration system, social insurance system and other related systems to promote the standardization and legalization of graduate employment. We must strengthen the government's macro-control ability, strengthen the government's talent forecast and adjust the specialty setting in time to guide the education and teaching reform in colleges and universities. Different from individual students and universities, the government has the most comprehensive information on the demand for talents. Therefore, the government should give full play to its own advantages and actively provide necessary market information and employment guidance for colleges and students. "The government should regulate the employment of graduates through legal, economic and administrative means, ensure fair competition for talents, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both supply and demand, and establish a more open job market. "It is necessary to break local protectionism, formulate more flexible and preferential policies, and promote the rational flow of talents.
The government should also speed up the employment information service and improve the employment information network. At present, although there are some employment information networks in China, they are not perfect, and the accuracy and standardization of information need to be improved. We can learn from the experience of the United States and establish a national graduate employment information network, including graduate information, employer demand information, employment consulting services, career exchange meetings, etc. It is also necessary to establish a statistical monitoring and early warning system for graduates' employment situation and a job market prediction system. Make a scientific analysis and forecast of China's current economic situation and trend and employment situation as a necessary basis for formulating employment policies and employment guidance.
The government can also learn from the practice of the United States and build a mechanism for students to enter social practice and experience as soon as possible. High schools and universities should establish student internship files and require students to practice in the society for a certain period of time during the annual leave, and their work units should put forward their opinions. These records will be one of the compulsory items for high school students to enter universities and graduate from universities. Let students go to the society to find a job experience, which is conducive to understanding the national conditions as soon as possible, appreciating the suffering of people's livelihood and experiencing the suffering of life; It is conducive to practicing the ability and skills to survive as soon as possible; It is conducive to establishing a sense of personal responsibility as soon as possible, learning not to rely on family and government, and enhancing the ability to adapt to employment pressure.
(2) Colleges and universities: deepen teaching reform, promote quality education, improve employment guidance and do a good job in "product" marketing.
At present, it is difficult for college students to find jobs in China. One of the most important reasons is that the development of higher education is lagging behind, the training of talents in colleges and universities is not synchronized with the development of market economy, and it is difficult for graduates to adapt to market demand. Therefore, it is necessary to reform the talent training mode in colleges and universities, vigorously promote quality education, and continuously deepen teaching reform to adapt talent training to market demand. For example, American university education attaches great importance to general education and interdisciplinary, and pays attention to cultivating students' practical ability and scientific research innovation ability, which is in line with the market. Similarly, in order to adapt to the market, China's college personnel training must change the concept of running a school, and strive for survival and development by quality. We should pay close attention to the development and changes of the job market, adjust the professional structure in time, constantly update the teaching content, pay attention to the cultivation of students' ability, comprehensively improve students' comprehensive quality, and cultivate compound talents who understand production and marketing to adapt to the market.
Since college graduates are the final "products" of university output, their employment rate and employment level are important indicators to measure the quality of running a university, which affects the enrollment and development of the school. Therefore, colleges and universities must strengthen and improve employment guidance and do a good job in "product" marketing. Schools should establish employment guidance centers, equip full-time staff, strengthen information network construction, strengthen contact with society, especially employers, master information on talent demand, actively and extensively collect employment information and provide it to graduates. Help graduates understand the market employment needs, help them write cover letters, and teach them skills such as job hunting essentials and interview skills. Carry out employment psychological counseling, cultivate healthy employment psychology, guide college students to face up to themselves and setbacks and improve their self-regulation ability. This kind of employment guidance must start from the first year of college and run through the whole university process, so as to cultivate students' healthy psychology and perfect personality, form a correct employment concept, enhance their adaptability and improve their employability.
(c) University graduates: change the concept of employment, improve their own quality and realize their career ideals.
With the change of employment system and environment, under the condition of fierce competition in the job market, college students must change their concepts and establish employment concepts that adapt to the development of the times. It is necessary to change the concept of one-time employment and establish the idea of multiple choices; Change the concept of urban employment and establish the idea of urban and rural overall employment; Change the employment concept of public institutions and establish the idea that both public institutions and enterprises can find jobs; Change the concept that graduation means employment and establish the idea of starting a business. We should recognize the situation clearly, proceed from reality, adjust our mentality and position ourselves reasonably.
At the same time, we should strive to improve our own quality and comprehensive ability. Because the competition in the job market is actually a contest between ability and quality, college students must pay attention to the cultivation of their own ability and the overall improvement of their quality in order to shape themselves according to the needs of the country and society. College students should learn to face reality, scientifically choose majors and occupations, and find a correct position; Learn to strive for self-improvement, enrich yourself, bravely meet challenges, participate in competition, and truly integrate into society; Learn to adapt to the laws of market economy, integrate into society, get employment first, then choose a job, and then start a business.