By Some 43 percent of the those returning home to China to work after studying and working abroad have reported earning salaries of just 3,000 yuan ($470) and 5,000 yuan per month, according to survey published in Workers' Daily on Tuesday.

With the help of EIC Group, one of China's largest education agencies, the paper surveyed 7,800 returnees at the end of 2011, and more than 70 percent said they received month salaries lower than 10,000 yuan.

The paper said 2.2 million students studied abroad from 1978 to the end of 2011. Since 2007, there has been a huge increase in returnees and 180,000 returned to China to work in 2011, with many reporting they found it harder to find work.