they knew The job market will be tough. No one was prepared for how tough it turned out to be.
China’s economy has suffered a sustained slowdown as property developers struggle with debt, families fear spending and entrepreneurs are reluctant to take risks. Youth unemployment has hit an all-time high.
We spoke to five young Chinese people about what it took to find work amid such uncertainty. They said they moved home with their parents, used up their savings, took unpaid internships and held multiple jobs.
They also spoke of generational disillusionment. Born during China’s most active period of economic growth, they grew up with more opportunities, comforts, and higher expectations than their parents. They were told that if they worked hard and received a proper education, their future was almost guaranteed.
Now, those boom years are fading, and so are the hopes of many young people, with unpredictable consequences for China and the world.
Nadia Yang, Class of 2019
Fiona Chin, Class of 2023
Kirai Shen of the New York Times
Until recently, Fiona Chin always had a plan. She wanted to get into a good university, then a top graduate school, and then find a job as a journalist in a big-city news organization.
She seemed to be on track to graduate in the fall of 2022. She completed several internships while completing her master’s degree in Beijing. She set her goal to apply for her 100 jobs. She thought she was certainly good enough to get a job offer.
Ethan Yee, Class of 2022
Kirai Shen of the New York Times
I think back, Ethan Yee thinks he was somewhat entitled, or at least naive.
Yi, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in June 2022, has always been told that a college education has certain benefits. He doesn’t have to work as a vegetable wholesaler like his parents did. He could expect good pay and respect.
Two weeks after arriving, he was hired by a pesticide company for $730 a month. He rented an apartment in the suburbs and devoted himself to training.
“We’ll see. Take it slow,” he said. “It’s impossible to make money quickly. I understand that now.”
Phoebe Liu, Class of 2022
Jill Sablier, New York Times
Still, Liu was upset by how difficult it was to land her first full-time job. Traditional standards of adulthood, such as buying a home, felt more out of reach than ever before, especially in expensive cities like Beijing. Her father became a successful businessman as China’s economy boomed, but she doubted she could achieve the same upward mobility.
“Even if you work hard for 10 or 20 years, can you really earn as much as they do?” she said of her parents’ generation. “Now we cannot achieve the same through our own efforts alone.”
2020 Graduate Hitoshi Tsuki
Kirai Shen of the New York Times
Tsukihito Although he grew up in a small city in inland China, he had long wanted to experience life outside. And in April, she decided to make that dream come true, tough job market or not.
Jin, who asked that her last name and nickname be published, quit her two-year job in human resources and moved to Shanghai with no new plans and about $700 in savings.
“I don’t think it’s good for young people to be too comfortable,” she says. “It’s good to go out and see different things.”
Jin’s trajectory shows that some young Chinese people can remain ambitious and be willing to compromise on almost everything else.
But even with his new job, Jin is already thinking about his next adventure. After living in Shanghai for several years, she would like to visit other cities as well.
“It’s all life experience,” she said.
