Beijing [China]: Young people are struggling to find jobs in China. Many people have said that they are now at their breaking point, according to a report by New York based television network NTD.
The job market struggles in China come months after authorities lifted the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and reopened its borders. Data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics in April showed the situation was getting worse, ABC News reported.
According to the statistics, the national unemployment rate for 16-24-year-olds was at 19.5 per cent, nearly 3 per cent higher than in December. The rise comes despite China lifting the COVID-19 restrictions.
Tony Bie graduated from a university in China with graduation degree two years ago. However, he is still unemployed, as per the ABC News report. He said, “Sometimes I wonder why I went to university.” Tony Bie is one of about 30 million unemployed young people in China.
Tony Bie further said, “If I had got a job straight out of high school, I would be a manager now.” The 23-year-old man said that he wanted to study further as it would increase his chances of getting a job. However, he said that the competition for university places is fierce and he has thrice failed the entrance test for the course.
The University of Western Australia senior lecturer in Chinese studies Tao Yu said young people in China generally believed that a good education would lead to a well-paid job, as per the news report.
However, the reality is that China’s economic struggles driven by COVID-19 restrictions implied that there were fewer jobs for university graduates.
As per the news report, some young Chinese people are opting to set up stalls in night markets to avoid the “996” work culture and solve their income issues. Many other young people depend on family support to make ends meet as China has no welfare payments for unemployed youth.
A large number of young people working in the technology, education and property sectors have lost their jobs due to the Chinese government’s crackdown on the technology, education and property sectors has left a large number of young people in these industries out of a job. Many technology giants have laid off thousands of workers, as per the ABC News report.
The unemployment problem in China has prompted young people to raise their concerns on social media. Young people on social media accused state media of shirking their responsibilities and making them the main culprits of China’s economic situation, as per the ABC News report. Their statements on social media were quickly censored.
