The official statistics from the Chinese Communist Party claim that residents work an average of less than 3.5 hours per day and rest for 9.5 hours. Against the backdrop of soaring unemployment rates, these figures stand out, drawing mockery from mainland Chinese netizens. Some mainland citizens have expressed to media outlets that such statistical data highlights the severe disconnect between CCP officials and the general public.
On October 31st, the National Bureau of Statistics of the CCP released the Bulletin of the Third National Time Use Survey, revealing that the average daily time spent on sleeping and rest activities by Chinese residents is 9 hours and 46 minutes, while the average daily time spent on work and employment activities is 3 hours and 28 minutes, and the average daily time spent using the internet is 5 hours and 37 minutes.
According to the report, this nationwide time use survey expanded its scope for the first time to cover 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The survey included participants aged 6 to 14 for the first time, extended the categories of residents’ activities to 34, and employed a mobile app for self-reporting to conduct the survey.
Data related to employment showed that in the residents’ daily activities calculated over a 7-day week: the average daily time spent on work and employment activities was 3 hours and 28 minutes, with participants spending an average of 6 hours and 23 minutes daily, resulting in a participation rate of 54.4%.
Furthermore, in sleeping and rest activities, both the average daily time spent and the average time spent by participants were 9 hours and 46 minutes, with a participation rate of 100.0%.
Several Chinese media outlets have prominently reported in their headlines: “Statistics show residents work less than 3.5 hours per day”.
On Weibo, there is widespread mockery:
– “Indeed, there are quite a few who are retired, students, or leeching off others.”
– “Did they include those who have been unemployed for 16 years?”
– “Short working hours overseas mean more vacation and happiness for the people. Short working hours in China lead to high unemployment and hunger.”
– “When they say labor, are they referring to farming?”
– “It just means the unemployment rate is too high, and many people have zero work hours.”
– “Actually, there are too many included in this data such as students, retirees, etc.”
– “Please calculate the median for the 23 to 60 age group.”
– “In other words: as unemployment spreads, residents work less than 3.5 hours a day.”
– “Maybe the statistics are for government officials.”
– “I think they are referring to stock traders, who only work for four hours at market open.”
– “The Bureau of Statistics is setting new records.”
Chinese human rights lawyer Zhang Min (pseudonym) told a media outlet that the CCP possibly releases such reports to portray the Chinese people as very happy, with plenty of rest time and minimal work hours. It could serve the purpose of enhancing their image. However, on another front, it might also be blaming the people for being lazy.
A Beijing resident, Yang Tian (pseudonym), expressed to a media outlet that these are absurd words from a group of idle officials. Their intention was to depict how comfortable and happy the Chinese people’s lives are, but objectively, they have salted the wounds of the vast working-class people, sparking strong public backlash. “This illustrates the severe disconnect between these CCP officials and the ordinary masses. Their eyes are always fixed on a few high-ranking elites, while the vast majority of the lower-class people are ignored, scorned, oppressed, and insulted!”
In June 2023, solely based on official data, the unemployment rate among young people aged 16 to 24 in Chinese urban areas reached a record high of 21.3%, prompting the CCP to start concealing the unemployment situation, stopping the release of this data in August 2023. In the employment data reissued from January this year, full-time students were no longer included. Official data shows that in September this year, the youth unemployment rate reached 17.6%, the second highest of the year.
However, a report last year by Caixin, quoting research by Associate Professor Zhang Dandan from Peking University, indicated that in March 2023, the actual youth unemployment rate in China reached as high as 46.5%, far exceeding official figures.
As for the national urban unemployment rate that has always remained in single digits regardless of age, many experts consider this to be even more unreasonable.