A job seeker fills in an application form at the fair.  [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

The 2025 Zhejiang High-Level Talent Fair took place at Wanghu Hotel in Hangzhou – capital of East China's Zhejiang province – on Feb 23.

Despite the chilly weather outside, the venue was bustling with activity as 53 leading businesses and institutions offered 475 high-quality positions to over 300 candidates, with 40.4 percent of roles targeting PhD holders and 17.2 percent for master's degree holders.

Top employers participated – including the Zhejiang Lab, Baima Lake Lab, China United Engineering, the Zhejiang Construction Group and Geely Holdings. They offered competitive salaries, averaging 300,000 yuan ($41,395) per year.

To match the talent with the opportunities, the provincial talent market pre-screened thousands of candidates from Zhejiang's talent database and invited them via multiple channels.

Companies looking for overseas talent, like Zhejiang MoKe Laser Intelligent Equipment Co, found the event highly effective, securing potential hires within hours.

Job seekers engaged in detailed discussions. Among them was Zhang Jiaqi, a doctorate student from Taiyuan city in North China's Shanxi province, who said he was drawn by Zhejiang's strong biotech sector and even applied for free housing available for job seekers in Hangzhou.

To support returning overseas talent, Zhejiang has launched the "Stay in Zhejiang: First Step Back Home" online platform – providing essential information on residency, employment, entrepreneurship and government incentives.

The event saw 2,125 job seekers in attendance, including 836 PhD holders and 1,139 master's degree candidates, with overseas returnees making up over half of the participants.