The Chinese government recently introduced mandatory social insurance payment measures, requiring companies and workers to participate in social insurance (mainly pension and medical insurance) through legislation, administration, and big data means. This move has sparked strong reactions and protests on social media platforms. A trending topic on Weibo about “reasons why young people choose not to pay social insurance” gained over 48 million views on Monday, October 19th. The following day, the topic became temporarily unavailable for search, attracting attention to the discussions surrounding it.
Many lower-income people and freelancers believe that in an environment of economic slowdown, stagnant wages, and challenging job markets, the full burden of self-paying for social insurance exacerbates the burden on livelihood.
According to Reuters, the topic on Weibo garnered at least 48 million views and 32,000 interactions on Monday. By Tuesday, the search page displayed: “According to relevant laws, regulations, and policies, the topic is temporarily unavailable for viewing.” However, some related posts and comments are still visible.
Another topic regarding “strengthening penalties for companies underpaying social insurance” had accumulated over 21.5 million views and 12,000 interactions by Tuesday morning.
Some netizens complained about low wages while the social insurance payment proportions covering pensions, medical care, work-related injuries, unemployment, and maternity subsidies were significantly high. The employees’ payment ratio is around 10% of total income, while the employer’s payment ratio is around 25% of total income, with varying actual ratios based on regions and specific regulations.
One Weibo user wrote: “Many young people choose not to pay social insurance not only because they don’t want to save for retirement but also because they face a dilemma between immediate economic pressures and the uncertainty of retirement life.”
Aside from affordability, the aging population has deepened some people’s doubts about the pension system. With the increasing retired population and relatively decreasing labor force, some netizens worry about whether the future pension will provide sufficient security.
As reported by CCTV on October 17th, starting from November 1st, authorities will unify penalties on employers who evade paying social insurance for their employees, with fines up to three times the underpaid amount.
Earlier this month, Deputy Minister Li Zhong of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security stated that the authorities should “use all possible means” to track down non-payers and encourage more people to participate in social insurance, including utilizing big data analytics technology.
This mandatory implementation of payment regulations signifies an increase in labor costs for companies, potentially reducing employees’ disposable income. Facing a long-lasting stagnation in the real estate market, diminishing household wealth, and sluggish income growth, convincing the public to accept these measures is not easy.
A user on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu commented: “If you can help people find jobs that offer fair treatment and provide social insurance, the problem will naturally be solved.” Another netizen said: “I want to pay, but my income is only enough to cover living expenses. How can I pay?”
These comments reflect that some people do not undervalue social security but believe that paying social insurance may further squeeze basic living expenses in situations where wages are insufficient to cover daily expenditures.
A survey conducted by the Zhonghe Group in 2025, targeting 6,689 companies, found that only 34.1% of the surveyed companies were deemed fully compliant with the social insurance payment regulations. Some companies previously reduced social insurance costs by underreporting payment bases or other methods. With tightened enforcement by authorities, both companies and workers now have to reevaluate this expenditure.
A netizen commented on an article related to tracking down non-payers under Li Zhong’s announcement: “I can give you my boss’s phone number. You can contact him directly because, to be honest, I also want to participate in social insurance.”
For flexible employees without fixed employers, the burden of social insurance participation is particularly heavy. Reuters pointed out that there are over 300 million flexible workers in China (engaged in non-full-time, temporary, short-term, or pay-per-task jobs). For this group, social insurance payment was not previously a mandatory requirement, leading many to choose not to pay for all social insurance items.
One netizen commented: “Without a formal employer, having to bear all costs myself is just too burdensome.”
The outlook of the job market is also one of the reasons causing dissatisfaction. Some young graduates worry that the rapid spread of artificial intelligence and industrial automation will limit the creation of new positions, making job hunting and maintaining stable income even more challenging.
In this scenario, demanding young people to increase social insurance expenditures without simultaneously improving wages, job stability, and workplace protections led to one netizen sarcastically commenting, “Let the robots pay.”
(This article references reports from Reuters)