Job seekers stop by a company booth at a career fair at Anhui University of Science and Technology in Huainan, Anhui province, on June 16, 2020. [Photo by Chen Bin/for China Daily]

BEIJING - More than 91 percent of Chinese university graduates in a recent survey said they need more job hunting support amid the COVID-19 epidemic, China Youth Daily reported earlier this week.

A total of 73.9 percent of the 1,925 respondents said that many fresh graduates around them have found jobs, while another 24.3 percent felt not so optimistic.

Graduates' major difficulties include less than expected salaries, shrinking recruitment plans and inadequate chances to visit the potential employers because of the epidemic containment, said the survey.

About 33.1 percent of those surveyed said they are also having difficulties learning the development prospects of related industries amid the epidemic, while 27.2 percent worry about their lack of online job hunting experience.

To help them cope with the challenges, 57.8 percent of the respondents expected the employment procedures to be simplified.

About 53.3 percent suggested collecting and providing more vacancy information to graduates, while 35.1 percent called for efforts to verify the information of employers.

In addition, 34.1 percent said they need online job-hunting training.

The number of China's college graduates this year is expected to reach 8.74 million, according to the Ministry of Education.