During the Chinese New Year holiday this year, which starts on January 28th, many individuals who have been unemployed since last November have returned home early. Some groups have referred to themselves as the “first group of people returning home for the New Year,” indicating that they were forced to retreat early. Others decided to return home ahead of time to avoid the skyrocketing prices of transportation tickets during the New Year period.
According to a report by the Sanlian Life Weekly, many mainland Chinese netizens had already identified themselves as the “first group returning home for the New Year” on social media since November last year, planning to go back to their hometowns three months before the Lunar New Year. This early return home group includes not only university students on winter break but also a group of unemployed migrant workers.
The report mentioned that some of the unemployed individuals chose to return home early in order to end their drifting life in a more dignified manner.
Some internet users in mainland China shared their thoughts, “Staying in a big city, you still have to pay for heating; it’s better to go back home and sleep in a warm bed for free, getting ready to fight again next year.” “Waiting till close to the New Year to retreat – plane tickets and train tickets will not only be hard to grab but their prices will also soar; combined with the high demand for household services at the end of the year, it’s difficult to schedule helpers for moving and cleaning, and sending things back home will also slow down.”
Reportedly, “Mongqiqi” (pseudonym), a post-00s individual who had been living as a migrant worker in Beijing for a year, working as an operational staff in a small internet company, decided to return home early due to the intense work pressure, high heating costs, and the expenses for warm clothing in a big city. He believed that staying in the city wouldn’t allow him to save money, so he opted to return to his hometown earlier.
Mongqiqi said, even though he couldn’t resolve the low pay and job-hopping difficulties in Beijing, “going back to my hometown is like pulling a rubber band – stepping back to exert better force.”
Monica (pseudonym), who had been in Shanghai for two years, returned to her hometown of Wuxi before the National Day holiday.
However, many others faced difficulties coping with the increased workload towards the end of the year and chose to return home earlier.
Some netizens expressed that most people actually don’t want to quit their jobs at the end of the year, hoping to hold on for a few more months to receive their year-end bonuses. But for those in finance, sales, or subcontractors, the year-end work volume seemed bottomless, with an average daily sleep time of less than 6 hours. “Instead of getting stuck in an endless cycle for appraisal scores, it’s better to go back home early and address some of the problems that bother you.”
Another comment from an online user mentioned that when job opportunities are scarce, it prompts them to embark on the journey back to their hometown sooner.
For the migrant workers returning home early, it is a reluctant retreat. This period allows them to spend time with their families, easing the emotional distance caused by their long-term work away from home.