BEIJING - Having sent out more than 110 job applications but getting no more than 10 interviews, chemistry graduate Yi Feng gave up on the idea of landing a decent job. He had traveled around a number of major Chinese cities trying his luck for four months.

Yi, who graduates from Jiangxi Normal University in east China's Jiangxi province this month, decided to join the army to avoid what seems to be the country's most toughest job market in a decade. He will wait for more opportunities to become available in two or three years time.

The 22-year-old said serving in the army is very appealing, adding he will get a fair allowance and enjoy favorable policies when pursuing a graduate degree or a post in the civil service later on.

"Joining the army is not a bad option for me. It has relieved my stress to find a job and will probably make me more competitive," he said.

Although the job market in China is still much better than many other parts of the world, it is a tough market for graduates. Many job seekers have decided to shy away from the rat race and try other options.

A record-high 6.99 million Chinese students are leaving universities in 2013, a 2.8 percent increase year on year, to hunt for jobs at a time when employers are cutting down on recruitment, according to government figures.

The number of jobs for new hires this year has dropped about 15 percent year on year amid slowing economic growth in China, according to a Ministry of Education survey carried out among nearly 500 firms in February.