BEIJING — According to a new survey, about 38.2 percent of people support university graduates delaying employment, 30.4 percent oppose it and about 31.4 percent feel neutral on the issue.

Delayed employment has become popular in China in recent years, with more university students unwilling to start working right after graduation, instead choosing to travel, further their studies or start up businesses.

The China Youth Daily survey showed that 50.7 percent of respondents thought graduates delaying their job-search would have more ideas about their careers, but 47 percent said lack of career planning was the main cause of delayed employment.

“In the past, most people worked immediately after graduation, to shoulder family economic burden. But now, more graduates prefer jobs with personal interests, and they are not willing to start a career they don’t like,” said one respondent, a university graduate in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

A counselor at Renmin University said that graduates who planned to delay employment should manage their own finances and not rely on their parents.

The survey also revealed that 85.4 percent of respondents believed the delayed employment period should not exceed one year.

The counselor said he thought a delayed job search would reduce people’s competitiveness in the workplace.

The China Youth Daily survey was based on answers from 2,009 respondents, with 57.5 percent at university and 31.6 percent in work.