Seventeen-year-old Wang Baoran has not eaten in three days and spends his nights in a billiards hall. Meanwhile, nineteen-year-old Bai Yongguang works at a popular beverage shop earning a monthly salary of 3,800 yuan, but he conserves money by limiting himself to just one meal a day. On the other hand, some young individuals who are studying for a master’s degree in computer science abandon their studies due to concerns about their job prospects after graduation. From school dropouts to university graduates, young people in China are encountering various forms of life and employment challenges.
The real estate market in China continues to decline, leading some companies to cut back on hiring. Additionally, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has added further uncertainty to the job market. Some individuals send out hundreds of job applications without success, while others face successive layoffs, forcing them to postpone plans for marriage and starting families.
According to a report by Bloomberg Businessweek, a reporter visited the northeastern city of Shenyang to meet a group of young people known as “spiritual youths,” many of whom have not received higher education and rely on temporary jobs, live streaming, or other unstable income sources to make ends meet.
Wang Baoran, who was sent to a juvenile detention facility for eight months due to street fighting, claims to have gone three days without food during an interview. He has just an old iPhone and a power bank by his side, with little contact from his parents, who live in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, and provide no financial support. At night, he typically spends the night in a 24-hour billiards hall, occasionally relying on live streaming to earn tips by dancing.
Bai Yongguang, despite having a steady job, also lives a frugal life. Working at a beverage chain, he prepares up to 1,000 drinks per shift. To manage his expenses, he restricts his meals to one a day and occasionally shares a loaf of bread with his girlfriend when finances are particularly tight.
Hailing from a village about two hours away from Shenyang by high-speed train, Bai left school after high school and has worked in various manufacturing cities. Unfortunately, he suffered nerve damage due to an overdose of cough medicine, resulting in trembling hands that prevent him from performing physically demanding jobs.
Currently, he and his girlfriend rent a 1,400-yuan apartment in Shenyang. Even with a stable income, covering rent and daily expenses leaves little room for savings.
The job market situation isn’t any brighter for university graduates.
As reported by The Guardian, Jasmine, a 22-year-old accounting student in Shanghai, initially believed she would easily find work after graduating. However, after submitting about 150 resumes within a month without success, she discovered that jobs offering standard weekend breaks and comprehensive social insurance are highly competitive.
Twenty-seven-year-old Ma Yongjian opted to temporarily step back from the job market. Once pursuing a master’s degree in computer science in Beijing, he grew skeptical about the stability of software engineering careers in light of layoffs in the tech sector and rapid AI developments. Last year, he halted his studies mid-course. While his roommates went to school daily, he wandered the streets of Beijing, sitting in parks and observing stray cats. Earlier this year, he moved to Dali in Yunnan but has not told his parents about his decision to leave school.
His parents still believe he is continuing his education. Ma Yongjian doesn’t want to worry them. He reflects on how there used to be a common belief that life would consistently improve and incomes would rise, but that notion has changed. It has become difficult to maintain hope for the future.
Additionally, 27-year-old Zhang Tian, who studied landscape architecture, graduated in 2021 and entered the real estate industry just as it began to decline. After being laid off six months into her job at a property developer in Hangzhou, she later found a position in Shanghai as an administrative assistant, earning even less than before. By the end of last year, she was unemployed again.
Zhang’s boyfriend, Cheng Ming, who has been in a relationship with her for five years, has also faced layoffs. Having worked at two real estate companies and then switching to a tech firm in sales, he was left without a job when the company went bankrupt in April of this year. They had initially considered marriage, but stable employment has become a challenge.
Zhang Tian states that while dating centers around emotional connections, marriage and family require a financial foundation, which they lack at present. They are currently learning AI-related skills, hoping to transition into the tech industry, which itself is experiencing its own layoffs and changes in hiring needs.
In 2026, it is anticipated that approximately 12.7 million students will graduate from Chinese universities, a historical high, with an increase of about 480,000 compared to 2025. Simultaneously, sectors that once absorbed a significant number of graduates, such as real estate, are facing reduced recruitment demands due to economic slowdowns.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the unemployment rate among urban youth aged 16 to 24 was 18.9% between August 16 and 24, easing to 18% in September, yet still remaining high. For urban residents aged 25 to 29, the unemployment rate reached 7.4% in September, while for those aged 30 to 59, it stood at 3.9%.
The rise of AI is also influencing companies’ hiring needs. Jobs in customer service, sales, accounting, and data analysis have seen certain tasks automated by AI, creating new competitive pressures for entry-level positions.
Researchers at the Economist Intelligence Unit highlight a mismatch between the skills possessed by university graduates in China and the demands of employers. While the gig economy offers income opportunities, it may also impede young people’s long-term skill accumulation, income growth, and career development.
Twenty-eight-year-old Xiao Li, after obtaining a master’s degree in media, applied for about 100 jobs, yet found no suitable positions. He had previously participated in recruitment processes at a major news agency in Beijing, successfully completing two rounds of written tests and interviews but ultimately not securing a job offer.
With his savings exhausted, he returned to live with his parents in Jinan, Shandong, with his living expenses now covered by them. Nevertheless, he continues to submit resumes weekly in hopes of achieving financial independence.
While the Chinese government has implemented various measures such as recruitment subsidies and vocational training, and some universities are adjusting their program offerings, the employment challenges for young people remain unaddressed.
Recently, Bai Yongguang received an electric bicycle from his parents. As a child, he enjoyed riding motocross across the open wilderness of his hometown. Now, he rides his new bike through the streets of Shenyang while his injured hands tremble on the handlebars. The bike has certainly made his life more convenient, but it has yet to restore the sense of freedom he once felt while riding.