The employment situation for China's new college graduates has been progressing smoothly this year thanks to joint efforts by central and local governments and universities, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

China is expected to see a record 9.09 million college graduates this year, 350,000 more than last year, the ministry said.

Wang Hui, director of the ministry's department of college student affairs, said although the stable economic recovery in the first quarter has laid a solid foundation for sound employment, the COVID-19 epidemic still has an impact on college students' employment and the situation remains complex and challenging.

Since last autumn, the ministry has worked with other departments to launch a campaign to help graduating students find jobs or start businesses, Wang said.

Measures have been taken to help graduates find jobs in the public sector, such as government institutions, State-owned enterprises, armed forces and public schools, he said.

The ministry launched a 24-hour online campus recruitment service last year to help graduates find jobs amid the epidemic and the service has provided 14.5 million job postings this year, with graduates submitting resumes 37.6 million times, Wang said.

It also organized 35 livestreaming sessions on the employment situation and policy, career development, industry analysis and interview skills, which have been viewed 108 million times, Wang added.

Liu Yuguang, director of China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center, said a recruitment promotion week will be held nationwide from May 17 to 23 to provide both job opportunities for the new graduates and chances for universities and employers to better match candidates with open positions.

Each provincial-level region will organize at least two large-scale job fairs during the week, Liu said.

More than 60 universities and more than 120 major enterprises are expected to attend the offline event at China Agricultural University and another 100 universities and more than 300 enterprises will meet online, he said.

Wu Aihua, deputy director of the ministry's department of college student affairs, said that many graduates were born after 2000 and they might have more employment choices, such as delaying employment and starting business, and the ministry will offer more specific employment services to graduates.

Emerging industries have also created many new jobs and there are more graduates choosing flexible employment, he said.