Against the backdrop of continued economic pressure, weak domestic demand, and challenges in the job market in China, the sentiment of “it is becoming harder to earn money” is increasingly becoming a personal experience for many people. The topic of “how difficult is it to earn money in an economic downturn?” trended on Weibo on September 14th, reflecting intertwining sentiments with the structural changes happening in the Chinese job market.
In recent times, several incidents related to employment, wage arrears, and job hunting have brought this sentiment to light. One of the notable cases is the well-known gold and jewelry brand Qianye Jewelry, which has been embroiled in operational turmoil, attracting widespread attention.
Around September 11th, various media outlets reported that the founder and actual controlling couple of Qianye Jewelry were rumored to be missing, with products from multiple e-commerce platform stores under the company being cleared out or taken down. Former employees mentioned wage arrears within the company, with some stating they have been owed wages for several months, even up to 8 months. Attempts to reach Beijing Qianye Jewelry Co., Ltd. for comment were unsuccessful.
Related reports also indicated a significant recent drop in Qianye Jewelry’s stock price. On September 11th, Red Star News reported that some employees complained of wage arrears.
For regular employees, one of the most direct impacts of corporate operational risks is not the company’s valuation or brand prospects, but whether the labor they have already put in will result in timely and fair wages.
Moreover, for franchisees, suppliers, and other collaborative partners, corporate operational risks could potentially transmit further downstream.
Another pressure faced by job seekers is the increasing specificity in recruitment criteria.
Recently, the experience of a job seeker from Hunan gained attention. Having a master’s degree, during the 2026 spring recruitment season, this individual received offers from several companies. Reports detailed his application for a business procurement position at a leading company, where despite phone interviews and five rounds of online interviews, he was ultimately not hired due to reasons like “the first degree being an associate degree.”
The controversy in this case extends beyond the question of whether the criteria for the first degree were reasonable, highlighting the situation where a job candidate who already holds a master’s degree and has passed multiple rounds of interviews could potentially be rejected during the hiring process due to their earlier educational background.
For some job seekers, the issue has evolved beyond simply having attended university to what kind of educational background is sufficient to secure a job.
The incident involving Xingyu Car Lights and recent graduates during the summer also reflects the pressures faced by graduates entering the job market.
During the campus recruitment period, Changzhou Xingyu Car Lights Co., Ltd. signed tripartite agreements with 440 graduates of the 2026 class, with 372 individuals subsequently joining the company. In July, due to changes in labor demands, the company presented a position optimization plan and ultimately terminated labor contracts with 107 new graduate employees, including 75 undergraduates and 32 master’s students.
On September 6th, the company issued an internal processing report, sanctioning relevant managerial personnel, including the general manager facing a 12-month salary deduction and dismissal of the human resources director.
For freshly entering the workforce graduates, from receiving offers, signing agreements to formally starting their jobs, it was supposed to mark the beginning of their careers. However, this event highlights that even after completing campus recruitment and officially joining a company, job stability is not guaranteed.
On the other end of the employment market, more people are deriving income in a more flexible manner.
According to the “2025 Chinese Blue-Collar Group Employment Research Report” released in June, it is projected that China’s flexible employment personnel will reach 320 million in 2026, accounting for over 40% of the urban employed population. The report indicated that in 2025, there were approximately 280 million flexible employment personnel, steadily increasing since exceeding 200 million in 2021.
It is important to note that the 320 million figure is a projected number from the research report and not the actual official statistics for 2026.
The expansion of flexible employment does not necessarily mean that everyone’s income is increasing.
On September 14th, Legal Daily reported that 41-year-old Wang Peng (pseudonym) has been engaged in crowd-sourced food delivery in Beijing for 7 years, being one of the many members of the vast flexible employment group.
According to Wang Peng, he had never considered joining employee medical insurance, partly because he perceives his income as unstable and currently lacks urgent medical needs. After accepting orders daily, the platform automatically deducts 2.5 yuan for purchasing occupational injury protection for this new form of employment.
Legal Daily cited experts’ analysis, stating that a considerable number of flexible employment personnel still opt for resident medical insurance or have not yet enrolled in insurance schemes, with one critical consideration being the balance between payment burden and insurance benefits.
For workers without fixed job units, the stability of income is not only crucial for current living standards but also affects their capacity and willingness to participate in social security schemes.
These cases involve different groups: employees of companies, recent job seekers, master’s degree holders facing job market challenges, and delivery riders relying on platforms to maintain income.
However, they all point to a common issue: the pressure people face is transitioning from “having a job” to “how much income can this job provide and whether it can be sustained.”
This shift is one of the backgrounds against which the expansion of flexible employment is occurring.
From wage arrears among employees, to a master’s degree holder rejected after five rounds of interviews, to recent graduates facing employment adjustments, and food delivery riders reliant on platforms for work, the underlying theme of “hard-earned money” reflects anxieties such as job security, receiving wages, unstable employment for recent graduates, and income fluctuations for flexible workers.