(Yicai) Dec. 5 -- More and more Chinese companies are accelerating their overseas expansion plans, with their demand for employees willing to relocate abroad also increasing. Most of the Chinese people filling these positions are under 30 years old.

Demand for overseas recruitment by Chinese firms has seen significant growth since 2018, Tang Jiawen, senior director of international services at Joyowo Geo, a provider of worldwide recruitment services under Chinese human resources giant Joyo Group, told Yicai in an interview.

About 34,000 Chinese enterprises had established around 52,000 direct subsidiaries overseas across 190 countries and regions as of the end of last year, with a total outbound direct investment of USD3.14 trillion (USD444.2 billion), according to public data.

“Previously, overseas hiring was dominated by internet companies,” Tang noted. “Now, it’s mainly driven by demand for bulk recruitment of high-tech and skilled talent needed by the real economy.

“In particular, the Belt and Road Initiative has prompted Chinese enterprises to expand in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia, where there is now a high demand for recruitment,” Tang explained.

Young workers have a more international perspective and greater adaptability, so they are more suitable to move overseas, according to Tang. “Even though the working and living conditions in many countries are not as good as in China, overseas jobs offer higher salaries and provide an international platform for young people’s development, making them very suitable for the youth.”

About half of Joyowo Geo’s expatriate employees are under 30 years old, she noted.

The primary motivation for job seekers going abroad is to earn more. They expect salaries 30 percent to 50 percent higher than their current ones, with the increases reaching 60 percent to 80 percent in some industries and countries.

Looking ahead, the employment pressure on young people will become more pronounced, said Zhang Chenggang, director of the China New Forms of Employment Research Center. “In the long run, enterprises will provide a large number of job opportunities for young people overseas.”

Editor: Futura Costaglione