China: Shanghai ranked No.1 city for attracting talent

China Daily via Asia News Network

December 8, 2021

Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Beijing and Guangzhou are top cities witnessing a huge inflow of talents in the past 10 years, as Yicai reported on Nov. 25. The Chinese financial media outlet has analyzed data from 35 cities, including municipalities, provincial cities with a population of at least five million, those with GDP of over a trillion yuan ($156 billion) and Dongguan, a manufacturing city in Guangdong province.

In this regard, Chongqing, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Hangzhou and Wuhan were also in the top 10. The report defined talent as people who graduated from a university. Compared to 2010, Shanghai has added 3.37 million people with talent as of 2020, obtaining the first spot in attracting exceptional individuals working in multinational companies and financial institutions. Shanghai also has outstanding capabilities in research and innovation. Meanwhile, as a leading city in the Yangtze River Delta region, Shanghai also attracted talent from the Yangtze River Delta, East and Central China and Yangtze River economic belt.

Another three cities with more than three million talented people added during the 10-year period are Shenzhen, Beijing and Chengdu.

Beijing and Shanghai are the only two cities having more talent inflow than population increase. Shanghai has increased 3.37 million talented workers in the past 10 years, but only added 1.85 million residents at the same time.