China’s economy continues to decline, with the unemployment rate remaining high. Recently, a funeral home in Shanxi Province issued a recruitment notice for logistics and mausoleum guards, sparking attention. The notice requires applicants to be under 30 years old, with a monthly salary of 3300 yuan (RMB), and to be on duty 24 hours a day, with an hourly wage as low as 4.6 yuan.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, on July 14, the funeral service center in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, released a recruitment notice for contract-based logistics and mausoleum guards, requiring applicants to be under 30 years old and have a high school diploma or higher. Applicants need to take exams, including written tests and interviews, with the written test being closed-book and covering professional basic knowledge subjects.
The job responsibilities include standing guard at the funeral home and cemetery entrances 24 hours a day, inquiring about and registering the identities of people entering, guiding vehicles to park properly, providing clear guidance to those coming to conduct business or attend funerals, and stopping uncivilized or rule-breaking behaviors.
The monthly salary of 3300 yuan includes basic wages along with social security expenses such as medical insurance and work-related injury insurance. For good performance, an additional 200 yuan performance bonus can be provided monthly, distributed annually.
Calculating based on being on duty 24 hours, the hourly wage can be as low as 4.6 yuan, which is below the minimum wage standard in Shanxi Province (about 18 yuan/hour).
On July 17, some mainland media contacted the funeral service center in Changzhi County, and the staff mentioned that the recruitment had been fully entrusted to a third-party company, and they were not aware of the specific situation. Staff from the entrusted Shanxi Fuhua Tong Human Resources Service Co., Ltd. mentioned that these were all requirements from the first party.
The recruitment notice immediately sparked controversy.
Netizens commented, “It challenges the bottom line, to have those under 30 working 24 hours a day. At the prime of youth, a salary of 3500 a month, even the corpses would mock for half an hour.” “3500 yuan a month working 24 hours! If calculated on an 8-hour basis, the monthly salary is only 1166.” “With such conditions, one can never be sure. ”
“Such age-limited positions requiring written exams and interviews, with average salary conditions, fully reflect how difficult it is for young people to find employment.” “This is too low, working 24 hours a day, and not sure how many days off per month, and there’s an age restriction too.” “Working 24 hours continuously? Even robots need to recharge!”
“At 30 years old, monitoring the deceased 24 hours a day, the person probably has no hopes left for the world, either mentally or physically.”