Chelsea Hu, who will graduate in December with a master's degree in communication management from the University of Southern California, seems unusually relaxed while most of her classmates are scrambling to find jobs in the United States.

"I have decided to return to China, where I will be more competitive for a senior-title job," she said.

"I'm concerned more about finding something I am interested in rather than taking an entry-level job just for the purpose of staying in the US," Hu said.