BEIJING -- About 58 percent of enterprises in China this year expanded their enrollment of college and university graduates despite the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the China Youth Daily reported, citing a recent report on the best employers of the year.

Some 74 percent of surveyed companies had held online recruitment events for college and university students, according to the report.

The polled graduates regard "respect for employees" as the most important factor when choosing an employer, followed by "the prospect of a bright future," salary, bonuses and credibility.

More than 27 percent of students interviewed said they favor state-owned enterprises, while nearly 26 percent said they prefer public institutions and government departments, according to the report, which noted that first-tier cities including Beijing and Shanghai are the favorite destinations among job seekers.

China registered 8.74 million new college and university graduates in 2020, up 400,000 from last year and hitting a record high.

The "China Best Employer Award" project was jointly initiated by zhaopin.com and the Center for Social Research of Peking University in 2005. It has issued a report every year since 2011.