Inducements spur increase in permanent-resident populations

The number of permanent residents in some new first-tier cities is increasing, according to statistics departments in these destinations.

Last year, the number of permanent residents in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, rose by 290,000 from 2017. In Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, the figure rose by 340,000 year-on-year, and in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, by 240,000.

Liu Yuanju, a researcher with the Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law, said a series of favorable policies for college graduates implemented by governments in new first-tier cities have contributed to these population rises.

Since 2017, many of these cities have introduced policies covering household registration, home purchases and entrepreneurship.

In cities such as Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, college graduates can gain permanent residence directly, without meeting any additional thresholds. Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, is among the cities that are building apartments for rent to young professionals for just a few hundred yuan a month. Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, has issued stipends to college graduates who start their own businesses.

Liu said, "These are the practical benefits that new first-tier cities can offer college graduates who choose them for work, and these benefits all add to the cities' ability to attract young talent."

A recent report by job-hunting company Zhipin said that among new first-tier cities, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, and Xi'an, the Shaanxi provincial capital, were the most attractive for talent, with 36 percent of people leaving first-tier cities to seek jobs choosing to move to these five destinations.

The report added that the proportion of people ages 18 to 35 looking to first-tier cities as their top choice for work dropped from 66 percent in 2015 to 47 percent in 2017. Meanwhile, the proportion of such people choosing new first-tier cities rose sharply.

According to a report early this month by online recruitment company Zhaopin, in new first-tier cities, the proportion of enterprises with employees with average ages of 21 to 35 was higher than the same proportion in first-tier cities.

The proportion of enterprises in first-tier cities where the average age of employees is older than 40 is higher than the proportion in new first-tier cities.

Against the backdrop of an aging population, cities that are able to attract young talent will have greater advantages in their development, the report said.

Liu said, "In contrast, without a sufficient inflow of young talent, it may be difficult for first-tier cities to maintain their development momentum."