In China, as the economy takes a downturn, social media is flooded with posts from people who have been laid off, are unemployed, or struggling to find work. Many are facing the pressures of mortgage payments, car loans, as well as the costs of their children’s education and supporting aging parents, leaving them unsure about how to navigate their situations.
A blogger working in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, known as “Second Handsome’s Work Life Diary,” recently shared a video on social media discussing the topic of unemployment, which unexpectedly resonated with many individuals. He touched the hearts of many with his words.
He revealed that his company has started laying off employees. He recounted having a meal with a colleague who had been laid off recently, and the colleague, with tears streaming down his face, poured out his emotions, leaving him feeling bitter and uneasy as well.
Describing his colleague, who is slightly older and also comes from a rural background like himself, the blogger shared, “He has a child. Every month, he carries a burden of over 4000 yuan for the mortgage, plus a 1600 yuan car loan. He never imagined he would be laid off by the company, so he never held back on expenses. The day he was called to the office for his dismissal, he felt fear creeping into his heart. When he got home and told his wife about being laid off, he hung his head low, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears.”
During their meal, the colleague drank heavily and eventually broke down in tears. He revealed that the 25th of each month is when he needs to repay his mortgage, shortly after clearing the car loan. With no job prospects in sight, he is unsure how he will manage the next month. Having sent out approximately 20 resumes so far without a single response, he expressed the difficulty of finding work at his age, especially in a tough job market. The blogger could only offer comfort and advise his colleague to keep searching slowly.
Reflecting on their conversation, the blogger pondered his own situation, realizing that he, too, would feel the same if he were to be laid off. The pressures of middle age, responsibilities towards family, mortgage payments, car loans, children’s education, and caring for elderly parents all require financial stability. He now understands what it means to feel powerless and trapped in a dilemma.
After their late dinner, as they parted ways, the blogger chose not to take a taxi home to save a few yuan. The looming possibility of getting laid off made him realize the importance of saving, as life could become much harder without a stable income.
In Yunnan, a social media figure known as “Qilin Mama” shared that her husband recently lost his job and completed his resignation process in early July. Middle-aged unemployment is indeed terrifying for them. Her husband, born in the 1980s, had been working in Kunming for the past 11 years. Despite a decade and nine months of tenure at his previous company and only three months at a new one, he could not evade the wave of unemployment.
With their source of income suddenly cut off, the couple found themselves at a loss. Middle-aged with family responsibilities, rent to pay, and everyday living expenses, the challenges were mounting. The tough employment environment in recent years, marked by layoffs in companies of all sizes, including significant closures in Kunming, added to their concerns.
Having two children, the loss of her husband’s job prompted them to consider returning to their hometown, Qujing, to start anew.
Another blogger from Shandong, known as “Happy Leaf,” a recent university graduate, expressed frustration over the current job market. Having obtained her diploma in mid-July, she lamented the shocking reality that university graduates are struggling to secure employment opportunities. She spends most of her days submitting resumes on job portals with few responses, leading to self-doubt, suppression, anxiety, and despair. Among her seven dorm mates from university, five are currently unemployed.
Feeling overwhelmed, she questioned whether graduates without influential family backgrounds are fated to face unemployment right after graduation. The post-college period has left her feeling powerless and defeated.
According to a survey on the employment situation among university graduates in 2024 released by the China Intelligence Recruitment Platform, as of mid-April, only 48% of graduates had received informal job notifications, indicating a further decline compared to the previous year. At Guangdong University of Technology, the employment rate for 2024 graduates stands at a meager 41%, leaving 60% of graduates without job prospects. The School of Architecture and Urban Planning, with the real estate sector in a slump, reported an employment rate as low as 9%.
A blogger residing in Guangdong who goes by the alias “Chen Chen” shared her personal story of unemployment. Three years ago, due to illness, she lost her job and accumulated debts of tens of thousands of yuan. At 33 years old, she is currently unemployed and struggling to make ends meet.
Admitting that it has been nearly four years since she last had a job, she remains in Guangzhou but is now unable to afford even a modest rental payment. Feeling on the brink of collapse, she describes her frugal life, where she can only afford to buy cheap food like dried fish and konjac tofu.
In recent years, the youth unemployment rate in mainland China has repeatedly hit record highs.
According to data from the Chinese Communist Party’s statistics bureau, before the pandemic, the average youth unemployment rate in China hovered around 10%, but it soared to over 20% last year. In 2020, impacted by the pandemic, the monthly peak of the youth unemployment rate surged to 16.8%, with the yearly average reaching 17.5%, making it 3.15 times higher than the overall unemployment rate and hitting a record high. The monthly peak even reached 19.9%, the highest on record.
In April 2023, the youth unemployment rate surpassed 20% for the first time, rising to 20.8% in May and further climbing to 21.3% in June, marking a 0.5 percentage point increase from the previous month and setting a new record high for three consecutive months, exceeding the overall unemployment rate by four times.
On April 16, 2024, Sheng Laiyun, the deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics of the Communist Party, stated at a press conference that the youth unemployment rate had slightly increased in the first quarter and required close attention, but he did not disclose specific data.
In June last year, following the surge in the unemployment rate among the 16-24 age group to a historical high of 21.3%, the authorities suspended the publication of this data. In January this year, the bureau released the youth unemployment rate data for December, which excluded statistics for students still in school.
Given the Communist Party’s tendency to conceal unfavorable data, the actual situation might be even more severe.
Some mainland netizens asserted that the true extent of unemployment is well understood by the public. On average, one out of every three adults is now facing unemployment. Finding a job has become exceedingly difficult, leading many to sustain themselves through vending stalls, food delivery services, or ride-hailing. This trend indirectly reflects that China’s unemployment rate has reached its highest level since the 1990s.