China has had a rising middle class for a while now, and just like with the agricultural automation brought on by the combustion engine, their manufacturing laborers will shift into service, skilled, technical, and professional positions.
> The reality, however, is that China has struggled to create enough white-collar jobs for its soaring population of college graduates. In mid-2013, the Chinese government revealed that only about half of the country’s current crop of college graduates had been able to find jobs, while more than 20 percent of the previous year’s graduates remained unemployed.
Are those the two groups of jobs you meant? I don't see the distinction between them...
Just like how in the US, the problems faced by liberal arts majors struggling to find work is going to be quite different from that of factory workers who lost their jobs when the production moved overseas.
First, it doesn't factor in the expansion of higher education in the last 20 years. I don't have the statistics at hand, so I will just use my hometown as an example. Exactly 20 years ago, ~120 high school students from my hometown were enrolled into colleges (including both 4- and 3-years colleges). This year, approximately ~1400 will enter colleges this fall semester. That is more than 10 times. Note the total number of people of ~18 years old hasn't been increased. On the contrary, I think it is decreased, as a result of one-child policy.
Second, I think it has become common that countries, including USA, have been struggling to create enough white-collar jobs. I have both current and ex- colleagues who graduated from Ivy Leagues and are/working in customer service, support, marketing associates, etc. What they majored in colleges, like English, Classics, Psychology, etc. really doesn't help them much on looking for their first or second jobs. It is similar in China, but I wouldn't say it is worse or better there.