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Young Chinese are increasingly critical of the job market. They are struggling to find jobs that match their level of qualification or expectations. While some are lowering their ambitions regarding pay and the interest of the position, others refuse to give in. They prefer to resign, even if it means finding themselves unemployed.
In China, this phenomenon is called “naked resignation.” This colorful expression refers to quitting one’s job without a safety net. It’s a risky choice, especially in the Middle Kingdom, where 14.7% of 16-24 year-olds were unemployed in April, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics cited by China Daily.
Yet many young Chinese workers are taking the plunge, according to Business Insider. Some explain their reasons for resigning on social media, including the popular Weibo. “In the past two years, I’ve gotten a raise every six months, but I always thought the most important thing in my life shouldn’t be work,” one of the “naked quitters” explains on the micro-messaging site.
This testimony, like so many others on the Internet, shows to what extent the youth of the Asian country do not have the same relationship with work as the generations that preceded them. There is no question of doing “996” work weeks, that is to say in the office every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. If this system is contrary to Chinese labor law, it is still in force in large technology companies like Alibaba, Tencent or Huawei.
Disenchanted Generation
But unlike their elders, those under 30 refuse to submit to this unsustainable work rate. They aspire to more time for themselves, especially the most qualified. To travel, learn a new living language, discover new passions and, above all, reconnect with themselves. The difficulties that young people encounter on the job market push them to reflect on the meaning of their lives: am I happy in my everyday life? What am I prepared to accept in my professional life? How do we really define success? So many questions that the Chinese did not ask themselves a few decades ago, so much did they have confidence in the future.
However, things have changed since the pandemic and the end of the “zero Covid” policy. The economic growth of the Middle Kingdom has been undermined by deflation, the decline in consumer spending and the housing market crisis. Add to this the lack of professional opportunities and it is easy to understand why young Chinese are disenchanted. And therefore more likely to resign if they do not see themselves in their work.
But be careful, not everyone can become a “naked quitter”. Quitting your job without finding another one can be financially risky. This is why young Chinese people are exchanging money-saving tips on social media, in the wake of the “revenge savings” movement. It remains to be seen whether this new trend will continue to gain momentum in the country, much to Beijing’s dismay.