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Dropping the Fig Leaf on Unemployment

China National Nuclear Corporation sparked outrage by boasting about receiving 1.2 million resumes for 8,000 jobs amid China’s employment crisis.
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SOURCE: CNNC.

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) sparked public outrage after boasting on April 5 of receiving nearly 1.2 million “high-quality resumes” for just 8,000 positions, Hong Kong-based HK01 reported. The state-owned nuclear conglomerate’s post — which has since been deleted — included a “starry-eyed” emoji. Critics online called the post, and the emoji in particular, insensitive amid China’s severe employment crisis. With approximately 12.22 million university graduates entering the job market this summer, the company’s revelation “ripped off the last fig leaf covering China’s dire employment situation,” Taiwan’s United Daily News (UDN) noted. In a subsequent statement, CNNC pledged to “treat every resume with care,” but notably offered no apology.

Lingua Sinica is an interactive online resource under the China Media Project (CMP) that explores the capacity and sustainability of Chinese-language media environments globally in their full domestic context and traces the lines of impact and engagement by PRC media and institutions.

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