OBJECTIVE: As competition in the job market intensifies, the phenomenon of delayed employment is becoming increasingly prevalent. This study employs social cognitive occupational theory to examine how family support influences the intention to delay employment via psychological resilience and career efficacy, elucidating the chain mediation effect and offering a novel perspective on understanding delayed employment. METHODS: A total of 605 students from various educational institutions and academic levels across China participated in this study by completing an online survey. The assessment involved the Family Support Scale, Resilience Scale, Career Choice Efficacy Scale, and Delayed Employment Intention Scale. Linear regression analysis was utilized for data analysis and hypothesis testing, with the goal of uncovering the correlations and influence pathways among the four variables. RESULTS: Family support was found to predict a willingness to delay employment. Both resilience and career choice efficacy were identified as partially mediating the relationship between family support and the intention to delay employment. Specifically, family support impacts the intention to delay employment through both resilience and career choice efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: This research, encompassing 605 participants, analyzed the interconnections among family support, resilience, career choice efficacy, and the intention to delay employment. It aimed to delineate the mediating roles of resilience and efficacy in the relationship between family support and delayed employment intentions. The findings affirm that family support can predict a willingness to delay employment, and both resilience and career choice efficacy serve as mediators in this relationship.