Demand this year for corporate banking relationship managers is expected to increase, mainly in second-tier cities. That compares with Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, where the volume is driven by replacement staff, Lloyd Morgan, a division of Clarius Group Ltd, said.

The pace of new retail and luxury store openings has eased, although competition in second-and third-tier cities remains strong, and new commercial centers are arriving in the major cities.

That's maintained strong demand for store managers, deputy managers, supervisors and assistants. There was an obvious uplift for positions related to improving single store performance, customer relationship management and sales training.

"As both international and locally franchised stores have set up shop in second-and third-tier cities, competition among fast-moving consumer goods brands has shifted from main cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to smaller cities with enormous potential," Dong said.

"There will be many opportunities, especially for those who are well-educated and have grasped one or more foreign languages and have rich experience."

There's demand for engineering experts as second-tier cities such as Suzhou change to attract many high-tech companies, Lloyd Morgan said. That will continue to rise, especially in research and development positions. A similar scenario is seen in human resources.

"Many manufacturing companies moved out of Shanghai to second-and third-tier cities, which softened demand for human resource professionals in Shanghai," Dong said.

"Following the expansion of consumer retail goods and auto components on the Chinese mainland, the demand for versatile HR managers in second-and third-tier cities far exceeds supply."