Unemployed people in China simulate a workday, hiding job loss — Taipei Times
Some unemployed people in China are hiding the loss of their jobs from relatives and leaving home to create the impression of a normal workday. They spend time in parks, libraries, coffee shops and shopping malls, trying to avoid questions from loved ones about employment.
As Taipei Times reports, advice on where to spend the day away from home, as well as stories of people pretending to go to work, has gained significant popularity on Chinese social media. Posts on the RedNote platform have received more than 70 million views, on Douyin 610 million, while thematic hashtags on Weibo have received up to 320 million.
Pressure from family
Thirty-two-year-old Coco Li, who quit a state-owned real estate company more than six months ago because of a heavy workload and lack of recognition, did not tell her mother about it. According to her, her mother’s concern would only intensify her own anxiety without helping solve the problem of finding a job.
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Twenty-eight-year-old Susan Sun has been hiding her dismissal from an internet company since the end of last year. After her mother and stepfather moved in with her in Chongqing, she has been forced to leave home before 9:00 a.m. and return after 6:00 p.m. She lives on unemployment benefits of 1,864 yuan per month and the remainder of her severance pay.
Difficult labor market
Analysts link this phenomenon to the weakening Chinese labor market. Employment and incomes are affected by the prolonged crisis in the real estate market, limited finances of local authorities, automation and the rapid implementation of artificial intelligence. Manufacturers are also cutting labor costs and increasing workloads for employees due to fierce competition.
Diana Fu, an associate professor of Chinese politics at Cornell University, believes that simulating employment allows people to save face and potentially reduces the risk of collective discontent. Sociologist Yige Dong of the University at Buffalo noted that China’s relatively weak social protection system may eventually make it more difficult for unemployed people to maintain this lifestyle.
