Summary
China’s economic slowdown and high youth unemployment (16.1% as of November 2024) have left millions of highly educated graduates in low-paying or mismatched jobs, such as waiters, cleaners, or extras in films.
Fields like finance, manufacturing, and tech no longer offer sufficient opportunities, forcing many to reassess career aspirations.
Family pressures and criticisms exacerbate the situation, though some view their current roles as stepping stones toward entrepreneurial goals.
Uncertainty about the economy’s trajectory leaves many young workers feeling disillusioned and insecure.
These people aren’t taking these jobs because they love driving and being film extras, they’re taking them because they’re desperate and can’t find any other kind of job.
What’s going to be interesting is which is going to bite China in the ass first: all the people aging out of jobs or the fact that they are aging out after being so long in the jobs that they can’t find well-trained replacements.