As China’s economy continues to face challenges and employment pressures mount, an increasing number of young people are being compelled to enter the gig economy, finding themselves in competition with older workers in their fifties and sixties for limited job opportunities. Gig work, characterized by instability and meager earnings, has pushed many individuals into a difficult situation, grappling with high rents, living expenses, and obligations such as pension and healthcare insurance payments.
Gig work represents a form of flexible employment that has gained traction in recent years. According to official data from the Chinese government, the number of individuals engaged in flexible employment surpassed 240 million by the end of 2024, steadily rising to approximately 280 million in 2025. Projections for 2026 estimate this figure will reach around 320 million, accounted as 44% of the total labor force, which is approximately 725 million.
Information gathered from labor markets in cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Shandong, and Gansu reveals a shift in the demographic of gig workers. Traditionally, gig workers were predominantly aged fifty to sixty. However, as job pressures have intensified, younger generations born in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s have gradually entered this arena.
A migrant worker from Lanzhou, Zhou Zhi, noted that in the past, the local labor market was primarily made up of older individuals. However, with the current economic climate deteriorating, the presence of younger workers has significantly increased. “Finding a job becomes harder as you age. Each year it gets more challenging,” Zhou expressed. “Younger workers from the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s are stepping in as the older generations find it increasingly difficult to continue.”
Wang Kai, who works in the renovation industry, echoed similar sentiments. He shared that in recent years, finding work has become progressively difficult. “There are only a few months each year when there is work available, and I can only manage to work for half a month each month. Sometimes, wages are even delayed,” he lamented. “Many university graduates are struggling to find jobs. There’s no choice for me but to take on gig work just to make ends meet. Surviving day by day is a challenge, and often for short gigs, payment is not guaranteed.”
Tan Jie, a laborer in Beijing who has worked there for over a decade, expressed his frustration about the growing difficulty in securing employment. “Each year, it becomes harder to find work. This year’s opportunities are far worse than last year. In previous years, the job market was much better.”
Tan further explained that the demographic of laborers in Beijing is shifting, with more young people flocking to the labor market, especially around the Majuqiao labor market. In contrast, markets in areas such as Tongzhou and Shunyi are predominantly filled with older workers. “It’s disheartening to see so many of us, without retirement benefits, competing for work. If we don’t work, we don’t earn.”
In Guangzhou, Xue Fei, 38 years old, previously worked in freight transportation, but he has also fallen victim to the industry’s severe decline. “The freight business is struggling here in Guangzhou,” he stated. “Factories have relocated to Vietnam and Southeast Asia, and job opportunities have dwindled significantly. Finding work in Guangzhou has become quite difficult.”
(The individuals interviewed have been provided with pseudonyms for anonymity.)