Graduate Degrees Pour Into China's Baijiu Factory Jobs

A recruitment list released by Fenjiu Group has drawn attention after showing more than a dozen master’s degree holders selected for front-line factory jobs, prompting debate online about whether such roles require advanced academic qualifications, Modern Express reported today.

The state-owned baijiu producer published a list of 196 proposed hires for production-line technical workers on March 9. The positions include 110 brewing workers and 110 bottling workers. Among those selected are candidates with secondary school, college and undergraduate degrees, as well as 19 master’s graduates.

Some Internet users questioned the need for such qualifications in physically demanding roles. “Do you really need a master’s degree to shovel grains and spread fermentation starter?” one comment asked.

A staff member involved in recruitment said the company accepts applicants with a wide range of educational backgrounds as long as they meet the requirements in the hiring notice. The brewing and bottling jobs are indeed front-line positions involving significant manual labor, the person said, but they offer internal promotion opportunities. Candidates with higher degrees typically have greater career prospects and may receive higher pay under the company’s system, according to the report.

The hiring notice, released in January, said the company planned to recruit 220 production-line technical workers. Brewing workers are expected to understand the full process of baijiu production — including starter culture preparation, fermentation, storage and bottling — and be able to carry out tasks such as mixing grains, cooling materials and managing fermentation pits. Bottling workers are responsible for operating the filling line, including washing bottles, filling liquor, labeling, inspection, filtration and packaging.

The recruitment notice also specified job suitability based on work conditions, stating that brewing roles are generally more suitable for men due to labor intensity, while bottling jobs — which require more precision work — are more suitable for women.

Applicants must have relevant experience in liquor companies, with requirements varying by education level: at least one year for those with a bachelor’s degree or above, two years for college graduates and three years for vocational or technical school graduates. Candidates must also be aged 18 to 30 and pass a national skill certification for baijiu brewing.

Baijiu production is a complex and labor-intensive craft that combines traditional techniques with modern industrial processes. Brewing workers play a crucial role throughout the process. They handle grain preparation, mix the fermented mash with the fermentation starter known as qu, manage temperature and moisture in fermentation pits, and monitor the transformation of starch into alcohol over weeks or months. Their work directly affects flavor, yield and consistency, making the role essential to maintaining a distillery’s product quality.

Fenjiu, produced in Xinghuacun in northern China’s Shanxi province, is one of the country’s oldest and most famous baijiu brands. Known for its light-aroma style, the liquor has a history stretching back more than a millennium and is widely regarded as a flagship product in China’s spirits industry. The company remains one of the leading baijiu makers in the country, competing with other major distillers for market share in China’s lucrative premium liquor market.

Master’s graduates appearing in front-line hiring lists is not entirely new. The company’s 2024 recruitment results for similar production roles also included several candidates with postgraduate degrees.