The number of overseas Chinese returning home to look for jobs in 2020 increased by more than a third over 2019, with the financial, Internet and entertainment industries attracting the most applicants, according to a new study.

That 33.9 percent year-on-year growth far eclipsed 2019 (5.3 percent) and 2018 (4.3 percent), according to data from recruitment platform Zhaopin.com.

The sharp increase of overseas students returning to work in China is attributable to factors such as the pandemic and changes in international relations.

The majority of those returning — 64.6 percent — are between the ages of 25 and 34, nearly three-quarters of whom hold master’s degrees.

Due to advanced economies, highly developed infrastructures and global connections, most returnees are flocking to first-tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.