BEIJING -- About 54 percent of 786 enterprises surveyed by 51job.com, a popular human resources website, chose to increase pay for their interns in 2012 in order to attract more qualified candidates.

The number of companies that provide transportation and food subsidies for their interns increased by about 13 percent year-on-year, the survey results showed.

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The figures indicate improved management and greater efforts on the part of companies to increase their attractiveness to potential interns, according to a report published alongside the survey results on 51job.com

The report said many companies have a hard time finding qualified interns, with more than 35 of the surveyed companies saying it takes more than a month to track down good interns.

Forty-eight percent of the surveyed companies said they plan to hire a greater number of interns this year.

The survey was carried out in February.