China’s youth seek work in sectors traditionally considered as blue-collar as mindsets shift

WUXI,China: Demand for blue-collar jobs such as technicians and housekeepers has surged in China over the last five years, attracting an increasing number of younger workers.

As the East Asian giant grapples with youth unemployment, among those who have joined once-shunned manual jobs is 24-year-old Feng Jiajia.

She and her husband run a housekeeping company in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi, standing out in a sector typically dominated by middle-aged business owners.

She used to work in the  early childhood education sector, but had her first foray into housekeeping in 2022 when her then-boyfriend, who was in the industry, needed help.

She then decided to quit her job to help him full-time.

“Most people traditionally would think that there are only middle-aged women in the housekeeping industry. There are still relatively few young people in this industry, so people are curious when they see young people joining the housekeeping industry,” she told CNA.

According to official data, the unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24 was 13.2 per cent in June.

The figure, which excludes students, is the lowest recorded since authorities resumed publishing youth unemployment data in January under a revamped calculation method.

It had soared to a record 21.3 per cent in June last year, before authorities suspended the release of figures for several months, pointing to a need to review methodology.

THE POST-2000s GENERATION

Ms Feng and her husband are from the post-2000s generation, the first of whom entered the job market in 2022, just as China and the world were coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The generation has been described as one that goes through life “lying flat” - just doing enough to get by - and having the attitude of giving up on a deteriorating situation.

It comes from a sentiment among many young people in China that they are powerless to combat forces making social expectations unattainable.

But Ms Feng begged to differ, saying that her generation is a “watershed generation” and shares the same ambitions and aspirations as those born in the 80s and 90s, with a positive attitude to boot.

“People may think that the post-2000s generation only want to ‘lie flat’, and are unwilling to go to work and are rebellious towards their supervisors,” she said.

“In fact, what everyone has not seen is that there are also many from the post-2000s generation who work hard and live a positive life.”

She pointed out that rest is also important to a certain degree.

She added that her generation enjoys the advantage of growing up in a country that is growing faster.

CHANGING MINDSET

The career choice of Ms Feng and her husband has caught attention, after they shared their experience on Chinese social media. It sparked heated discussion on the Internet and attracted extensive media coverage.

Many discussions focused on how more young people are beginning to abandon traditional career paths, as China’s economy comes to a critical juncture after decades of breakneck growth.

Dr Yu Tao, associate professor in Chinese Studies at the University of Western Australia, said the trend of young graduates joining blue-collar jobs is set to grow as mindsets over such work change.

Traditionally, people thought blue-collar work meant work having no autonomy, he noted. However, like in the case of Ms Feng, although the job is physically demanding, those in such jobs have flexibility and can directly negotiate with their clients, he pointed out.

“They feel a sense of ownership of their job, ownership of their life,” he said.

He added the post-2000s generation may work hard on the condition of autonomy and respect that they believe they deserve.

HELPING THE UNEMPLOYED

The Chinese government is using two main types of policies to help the unemployed, said Dr Tao. 

One is relaxing the hukou or household registration system which determines where residents can access welfare, education, subsidised housing and other services.

The move will allow people born in rural areas to move to the city and enjoy the same rights as their urban counterparts, softening the divide between the two sects of society. Most of China’s almost 400 million migrant workers living in larger cities do not have local hukou.

“That's going to help with not only contemporary job readiness, but it also has a lasting effect,” said Dr Tao. 

He added the other helpful move is recognising new occupations to be included in official statistics.

“It means quite a lot in the long run, because unless you have officially recognised the occupation, you wouldn't be able to have a whole field surrounding this occupation,” he said.

“These institutional changes, in the long run, will shape China's labour structures,” he added.