qiúzhí hándōng

Meaning:

“求职” means “job seeking,” and “寒冬” means “cold winter.” This term, frequently used in media recently, is a vivid description of the current situation in the job market overshadowed by an overall economic slowdown. Compared with previous years, new graduates and those unhappily employed in their present jobs find it more difficult to find a satisfactory job.

Example:

A: 你弟弟明年大学毕业，工作找好了没？

Nǐ dìdì míngnián dàxué bìyè，gōngzuò zhǎo hǎo le méi？

Your younger brother will graduate from university next year. Has he found a job?

B: 他还在四处投简历，今年遇到求职寒冬，找个好工作不容易。

Tā háizài sìchù tóu jiǎnlì，jīnnián yùdào qiúzhí hándōng，zhǎo ge hǎo gōngzuò bù róngyì。

He’s still submitting resumes everywhere. The job market is in bleak winter now and it’s not easy to find a satisfactory job.