Wang was devastated by the news. "I'd even planned how I would introduce myself to my new colleagues. It's really a huge blow. For quite a few days, I doubted my ability and even questioned my own worth," he said despondently.

He sent out resumes to every company he could think of and attended as many job fairs as possible. Eventually, he gained a job at a bank, having overcome the strict selection procedures.

According to Wang, not one of his former classmates is satisfied with the offers they've received, because the terms are not as good as those offered last year.

The straitened job market has also forced many third-year undergraduates, known as juniors, to act earlier.

Qiu Xue, 21, a junior at Xi'an University of Posts and Telecommunications in Shaanxi province, was one of the early birds, but her efforts were to no avail.

"I know some of this year's graduates from my college and I felt very nervous when I heard that many of them still haven't found jobs, including the vice-president of our students' union," she said.

In the hope of gaining work experience and improving her chances when she graduates next year, Qiu contacted several companies looking for work as an intern, but offers were not forthcoming.

"It's even hard to find a place as an intern, let alone a real job," she sighed.