Generation Z would rather be unemployed to wait for a high-paying job, afraid to get married, afraid to have children in a country of billions of people
Sophia Xie is a 22-year-old Chinese girl about to graduate from a top university in Shenzhen. She shared with SCMP: “There are about 100 students graduating this year, but only 10 plan to find a job right after. The rest plan to study masters abroad, at home to prepare for the job entrance exam. or even accept unemployment until they find a job they like. Many of my peers choose to be unemployed, especially in first- and second-tier cities.”
Sophia belongs to Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2009) and is one of about 10.7 million graduates who will enter the job market in China this year.
But according to online recruitment web platform Zhaopin, the number of businesses targeting fresh graduates in China fell by 4.5% in the first quarter of 2022 compared with the same period last year.
“Although it is said that this will be the hardest year to find a job, my schoolmates were still able to get offers with starting salaries ranging from around 6,000 to 10,000 yuan (US$1,500) a month. America) if you try.
Job opportunities may not be many in the coming years, but we still call ourselves the generation that is afraid of getting married, afraid of having children and preferring a high income. This can be seen as a way for us to contribute to the country’s economic growth in the future,” added Sophia.
Statistics show that the marriage rate in China hit a 36-year low (7.63 million people) last year. Meanwhile, the birth rate in 2021 fell 11.6% to 10.62 million, exacerbating the pre-existing population crisis. The unemployment rate in China among 16-24 year olds also hit a record 18.2% in April this year.
For Sophia and friends, work-life balance is a top priority. “We want to not have to work overtime on weekends, have a free life, have pets and especially not think of love or kissing as a must, let alone children.”
Sophia, like most millennials of Generation Z, faces little pressure to work to get married and earn enough to buy a home as most of their parents already own at least one property. . According to a report, young people of Generation Z tend to receive more support from their parents because they do not have to compete with siblings.
China’s average monthly salary in 38 major cities was 10,014 yuan ($1,502) in the first quarter of 2022, down 1% year-on-year but up 10.5% year-on-year. 2020.
According to Zhaopin, the expected monthly salary of bachelor’s degree holders rose 1.8 percent year-on-year to 12,033 yuan. “Life gets harder when it comes to paying off mortgages, getting married and having kids,” Sophia said.
For many young Chinese, work-life balance is a top priority (Image: Internet).
China has set a target of creating more than 11 million new urban jobs this year. In 2020, Yu Qian (24 years old) borrowed 100,000 yuan (about 15,000 USD) from her family to open a drawing center for children in her hometown, a city in Henan province (China).
Yu’s uncles left their hometown in the early 2000s to work in coastal cities with the goal of earning money to support their family, buy a house, get married, and live in the city. However, Yu is different, he said he does not plan to live in a first-class city because his hometown is now quite developed. “The Covid-19 pandemic has affected my drawing center. Last month it had to close for almost a month. Even so, I feel fine and am not too stressed.
If married, most young people in small cities will have at least a house, car, and cash of around 200,000 yuan. Usually their parents will cover most of this cost. I plan to have only one child in the future,” Yu said.
Compared with Generation Y, Chinese Generation Z face less pressure and can pursue non-traditional work. “Maybe the economic impact of the pandemic will reach us soon. But I love living with my parents and my pet cat. My family supports my dream of becoming a fitness influencer.” Wang Ang (19 years old), now works part-time, said.
In 2020, China expanded the definition of “having a job”, to include recent graduates opening an online store on an e-commerce platform, game players or bloggers.
According to China’s Ministry of Education, recent graduates opening e-commerce websites will be classified as “already working”, as long as they can provide a link to an online store and registration information. Those who do freelance work like marketing online or playing e-sports would be classified as “flexible jobs”.
Annie Wang, who runs an online influencer management company, said: “Many young people feel more secure and confident in their work and income. They no longer have to bear the pressure of birth. family planning but may instead focus more on self-interest.
China’s Generation Z aspires to achieve work-life balance. There are many cases of becoming an online influence just by recording their good life and sharing it with everyone.”
at Blogtuan.info – Source: genk.vn – Read the original article here
