At least, these workers have homes to return to and in many cases, plots of land to till. For the estimated 6.1 million students who will graduate college this spring, the prospects are even bleaker.

Colleges have advised their graduates to lower their income expectations and consider job offers in second-tier cities or even rural areas. Job services are warning clients to think twice before switching jobs, lest they find themselves at the bottom of the employment heap.

"I think it will take a while before the government's employment policies take effect. The economy is not good, and we have to wait for employers to recover," said Hu Jie, who holds an MBA from Peking University's Resource College. She graduated last summer and just landed a job as an accountant after a half year's search. About one-third of her classmates now have jobs, Hu said.

"My classmates started looking for jobs six months before graduation. I've heard the graduates this year have to start a full year ahead," she said. "Hopefully in the future things won't be so tough so that students can spend more time learning."

Editor:Du Xiaodan