Although hiring levels in a large number of industries across China have been affected due to lowered expectations for the country's economy in 2014, candidates from lower-tier cities have brighter prospects of changing jobs this year than those from first-tier cities.

According to the 2014 Salary Guide released by global comprehensive workforce solution provider Kelly Services on Tuesday, robust hiring activity has been observed with particular demand for car sales professionals this year. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are developing especially rapidly. Cities such as Changsha, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Ningbo have also shown a high demand for professionals in factory management.

With growth anticipated in the automotive industry over the next three years, candidates are optimistic about changing roles whenever there are opportunities. Average salary increments across the industry were between 20 and 30 percent, while those for senior management roles were only 10 to 20 percent.

The introduction of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone will boost both the city's local economy and the wider economy, according to Kelly Services experts. RMB cross-border settlements and international trade are expected to be particularly promising.

Companies specializing in private equity or venture capital, real estate investment, and commercial bank and international trades recruited actively in the past 12 months and that momentum is expected to continue this year.

As a result, job candidates in banking, finance and commodities industries generally expect a 20 to 30 percent raise when changing roles, while those in the real estate industry have higher expectations due to a surge in growth within the sector.

Experts from Kelly Services noticed a decline in growth within the fast-moving consumer goods and retail industries throughout 2013, particularly for international brands. However, they still saw hiring from new organizations that have only recently entered China. There was a high demand for sales and marketing professionals, store managers, retail assistants and visual merchandisers to help with expansion plans.

In 2013, organizations were observed to be focusing on cost control due to slow economic growth, which resulted in some headcount freezes. However, the information technology sector performed well and this resulted in a demand for software and hardware developers as well as research and development professionals in 2014.

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