Yang Fan spends his day managing the eighth-floor activity of a bustling mall in Beijing, overseeing a mound of consignments, as his tired co-workers catch up on much-needed sleep nearby. They work for a delivery company which, due to a recent promotion, is experiencing an overwhelming rush from the adjoining stores. Since Fang bears the responsibility of supervising this floor, starting his day as early as 4 or 5 am has become habitual for him.
The floor is home to numerous electronics businesses, and this set-up is replicated across the building. In addition to Fang’s delivery company, several other courier companies are represented on each floor. Fang, a 28-year-old migrant from Taian in the Shandong province, took up this job three years ago, following his graduation in economic management from Shandong Taian University. Despite harbouring aspirations of an office job, he ended up joining the ranks of courier staff in the logistics industry due to a lack of suitable employment opportunities.
Fang appreciates the perks of his job, including competitive pay, social insurance, a housing allowance, and job stability. He’s indicative of a mounting trend among China’s youth, who are increasingly turning to blue-collar professions. An array of new job opportunities has arisen since 2019, triggered largely by the explosive growth of the ecommerce sector in China. A study from job search platform Zhaopin revealed a staggering 165% increase in applications for blue-collar jobs from under-25s in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period five years prior.
Job openings in this sector have multiplied by almost four times over the past five years. There’s been a similar trend in demand for roles such as van and truck drivers, maintenance personnel and security guards. The ecommerce boom in China has multiplied job offerings in distribution eightfold compared to the pre-pandemic period.
A surge in manufacturing has led to extraordinary actions by factory owners in their attempts to attract labour. Unlike the traditional scenario where labourers flocked to factories in search of employment, the labour deficit has turned the tables.
In a remarkable incident that went viral on Chinese social media earlier this year, proprietors of apparel factories in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, were seen forming a lengthy queue spanning roughly 3km. With samples of their products in hand and job advertisements featuring salaries, they aimed to pique the curiosity of passers-by who could potentially be their employees.
Despite the growth in manual labour employment, China’s youth joblessness continues to be a significant issue, with approximately 15 per cent of individuals between 16 and 24 years of age jobless as of April. University graduates, once aspiring to lucrative employment in private businesses, are now gravitating towards government work, leading to a significant increase in those sitting for the civil service examination.
This year, a staggering 11.79 million university graduates will enter the job market in China, paralleling a drawn-out fall in the property market that previously fuelled economic expansion. While Beijing advocates for innovation in high-tech sectors such as green energy, electric cars, and medical technology, waning consumer trust and a slump in foreign direct investments have negatively affected job opportunities.
With wages frozen and job openings dwindling, white-collar workers saw their annual bonuses slashed or entirely wiped out last year. This led to such employees holding on tightly to their current positions rather than risking a career move, consequently putting a damper on career progression opportunities for their subordinates.
In contrast, wages of manual labourers have witnessed a nearly 36 per cent increase since 2019, reports Zhaopin, outperforming general wage growth by almost 8 per cent. For people like Yang, the chance to earn more makes his blue-collar job more attractive than the white-collar work his degree equipped him for.
Yang articulated his contentment with his job and pointed out that monetary benefits increased with hard work. He also stressed that he took pride in what he did and never felt inferior due to it. His lack of interest in progression within the company stemmed from the observed stress management roles brought and his appreciation for the relaxed environment amongst his colleagues.
All of my workmates are men, and we freely interact, chat and crack jokes regularly with each other. No one takes offense to whatever is said; we understand one another. As time progresses, our bond deepens,” he states.
Amy Li is the name of the 25-year-old who has served at a nearby hair salon in Wangfujing, a major business district in Beijing, for a span of two years. Her duties mainly revolve around assistance in perming, hair dyeing, and maintaining cleanliness throughout the salon.
Amy pursued an accountancy course at a business institution located in Henan province. This is approximately 700km in a southwesterly direction from Beijing. Her aspiration was to get a role relating to her field of study right after finishing school. However, due to the job shortage in that sector caused by the pandemic, she couldn’t secure any appropriate opportunity right at her hometown.
Amy recounts, “Like majority of women, beauty was my priority. I would often play around with my hair. I developed a close-knit relationship with several hairstylists back at my home area. They were a part of my friend circle. One day, it just dawned on me that embarking on a career in hairdressing would be a brilliant idea.”
“Upon getting into this line of work, it was challenging to adapt because it was my first encounter. The whole experience was totally contrasting from my expectations and it took me some time to fit in. The working environment at the salon was fantastic and my workmates were quite supportive,” says Amy.
Amy points out that if she had secured an accountancy job, she would have had to start from scratch, taking numerous tests to upgrade her level. On the contrary, the hair salon provides an easier way up via training. Currently, she is learning hair cutting. If an attractive accountancy opening showed up back in her hometown, she would think about it, but her main attention is still on the hair and beauty industry.
“In the beginning, I was worried since I had put a lot of effort into my college education and earned a bachelor’s degree. All of a sudden, I was giving up everything that I had formerly accomplished, so I was torn internally. However, when I relocated to Beijing and joined the hair salon, the environment impressed me immensely,” she adds.
“I am now at a stage where my career is taking off. It would be regrettable if I were to quit in the middle of my training. If I become a professional hairstylist, I could own a salon and also apply my accountancy knowledge. This way, I won’t have discarded my original line of work—accountancy,” adds Li.
Li finds her workplace environment more casual compared to the bleakness of an accountancy firm. The company of clients and understanding their life stories are among her favourite job perks. Previously shy and timid, her position now has helped her open up and interact better. Earlier, she used to be uncommunicative and unhappy, however, today she enjoys a more laid-back disposition, acknowledging this change herself.
Even though her parents initially struggled to comprehend her choice of a career in hairstyling, given the substantial resources employed on her education and the disrepute endured by the hairdressing sector in her hometown, they eventually recognised her transformation. As of today, they are proud of their daughter who is financially stable and fully autonomous, outshining her peers.
At a McDonald’s outlet ensconced in a leafy quiet street in Beijing’s northern side, Jin Jin, a 25-year-old barista, was minutes away from wrapping up her long eight-hour shift. Her demanding schedule includes working for six days beginning from 6am daily, however, she has the liberty to determine her own timings.
“I require flexibility with my timings,” she shares, adding that she prefers morning shifts to have her afternoons free. A business management graduate from Beijing Union University, Jin’s job hunt was unsuccessful following her graduation three years ago amidst the pandemic until McDonald’s, which was headhunting on social media, caught her attention with its pliable work scheme.
“Putting in more hours leads to a bigger paycheck, despite the drudgery,” Jin observes. Her colleagues at McDonald’s, belonging to a younger demographic and a broader spectrum, provide a friendlier environment. She adds if she were confined in an office, she would be left with nothing but a computer or a boss for company all the time.
A McDonald’s employee named Li concludes, “I’m indifferent to others’ opinions as I’m earning my keep while still having time to pursue my interests.”
Residing close to her parents, Jin aspires to be in charge of the restaurant she works in within the next few years, despite currently lacking the means to purchase her own property. Her parents thought she would abandon her role at McDonald’s quickly due to its exhausting nature, but she has stuck it out.
Her decision to continue working there has been backed by her parents, even though she holds a bachelor’s degree and they were hoping she’d secure a job that assured a prosperous future. At present, Jin believes that there are great career advancement opportunities at McDonald’s.
Granted, working in the food industry isn’t without its drawbacks. Li admits that the patrons can be extremely difficult, lodging grievances over minor failings. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t swap her job for a typical 9 to 5 corporate position, and unlike the older generation, she doesn’t fret over others’ opinion of her.
Li maintains that her job allows her to earn a living while also having time to indulge in activities she enjoys. She further adds, “I’m indifferent to what people think of me. We’re all simply trying to make ends meet.”