Chinese Youth Confront Unprecedented Job Scarcity

In China, the government is focusing on developing a workforce suited for emerging technologies like AI and robotics, which critics argue is leaving a generation of highly educated young people unemployed. A record 11.79 million university graduates are facing job scarcity, particularly in white-collar sectors, as companies such as Tesla, IBM, and ByteDance have recently cut jobs. Urban youth unemployment has spiked to 17.1%, with many young workers turning to freelancing and the gig economy as fallback options. He Ajun, a former private tutor turned 'unemployment influencer', offers career advice to her followers while highlighting her own struggles with joblessness. Despite the rise of freelancing, experts warn that government policies may exacerbate issues in other industries, leading to further underemployment. Sociologists stress the need to reassess job market expectations as young people navigate this challenging economic landscape.