Chinese college graduates had better chances to get jobs last year than in previous years, but only one third of them felt satisfied with their chosen jobs, local media in Beijing reported.

According to a survey of 20,000 college students who graduated in 2005, 33.7 percent of them signed work contracts upon graduation, 1.8 percent higher than that in 2003, Beijing News said.

If graduates ready for a contract and those who decided to work free-lance are counted, 75 percent of college graduates last year found a job, rising 12.9 percent in two years, the paper said.

The average salary of 2005 graduates was 1,588 yuan (196 US dollars) a month, it said, adding that graduates with a monthly salary less than 1,000 yuan accounted for 20.3 percent of all, a drop from 40.9 percent in 2003.

Xie Xueluan, professor in the sociology department of Peking University, said the job market does not yet inspire optimism, with graduates still facing great difficulty finding a job. "The percentage of jobless graduates still runs high. It is a cruel fact to admit."

But he said it was a relief that a growing number of graduates have ceased cramming into big cities for positions in big companies or government agencies.

Source: Xinhua