The trend of "flexible working" in China

China's unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds hit a record high in April (20.4%) while there are expected to be more than 11 million college graduates next summer, despite the Chinese government adopting a "recruitment-first strategy" in hopes of creating 12 million new jobs this year.

In that context, according to the most recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, by the end of 2021, the country had about 200 million "flexible workers", nearly three times more than in 2020.

More than 16% of all college graduates in China in 2020 and 2021 chose this career path, which includes part-time work, temporary and seasonal work as well as freelancing and entrepreneurship.

The sectors they have chosen include food delivery, street vending, livestreaming and digital content creation. Local governments in Hubei, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangdong, etc. have also supported the trend by setting up more mobile stations, according to the South China Morning Post.

Food delivery is a popular job among young Chinese people. Photo: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Leon Liu, an architecture graduate living in Shanghai, said he realized that "flexible working" is a more realistic trend right now.

Fluent in English, French and German, the 26-year-old teaches languages ​​online, has a company that focuses on cultural exchanges between Chinese and Middle Eastern students, and consults on construction projects. Liu says he can spend half a year traveling while doing all of this remotely.

Similarly, Ms. Lu Sina expressed: "Although I earn less money now, in return, I have more freedom, time for my family, to travel and to study more."

The 28-year-old quit her job at a mother and baby products company in 2022 after three years. She now works as a career consultant in Hangzhou, earning about 20,000 yuan a month.

However, “not everyone can handle so much freedom,” warns Summer Huang, 33, who lives in Guangzhou. After quitting her job at a tech company two years ago, she now freelances in the digital content sector, earning around 20,000 to 50,000 yuan a month.

"Sometimes I find it more tiring than working in a company. You have to prepare yourself mentally for instability and uncertain income," Huang said.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/xu-huong-lam-viec-linh-hoat-o-trung-quoc-2023060521220422.htm