On June 7 and 8, the two days were the national college entrance examination days in mainland China. Public opinion revolved around discussions on whether the college entrance exam can change one’s destiny and whether graduates can find jobs. In the face of the difficult job market, there has been talk about the so-called flexible employment model. Phrases like “Ironman Triathlon” and “Auspicious Trio” with sarcastic undertones have been circulating online.
According to official data released by the Chinese Communist Party, the number of candidates for the national college entrance exam in 2024 reached 13.42 million, an increase of 510,000 compared to the previous year, setting a new historical record.
Despite the large number of high school graduates applying for colleges and universities, the escalating costs of raising a university student in terms of tuition fees and living expenses, coupled with the uncertainty of finding a job after graduation, have led to diminishing confidence in the investment and returns among the public.
On the streets, hosts of the popular Chinese show “Pipi Shrimp” randomly interviewed passersby, asking whether the college entrance exam can change one’s fate. Almost 95% of respondents, regardless of gender or age, believed it was unlikely. Only a few individuals thought it depended on specific circumstances.
There was a ride-hailing driver who complained while driving, mentioning that he also scored over 670 in the exam years ago but is now driving a ride-hailing car for a living.
An elderly person remarked that twenty years ago, the college entrance exam could change one’s fate, but now it is no longer the case. The elderly emphasized, “Now, it’s all about having connections to get ahead.”
A parent shared their firsthand experience, expressing how they worked hard to support their son in attending a prestigious university for petroleum studies, investing around 170,000 to cover tuition and living expenses, and an additional 500,000 for building a house for him. However, their son, who graduated in civil engineering, struggled to find a job after graduation and had to work at a construction site with their parent, earning much less than the father. The father lamented that a university education seemed to have little value.
A food delivery driver mentioned that he studied logistics at Tianjin University but due to the increasing difficulty for graduates to secure jobs, he ended up delivering food as a means of livelihood. He pointed out that many delivery drivers around him had academic qualifications. He emphasized, “I feel that education isn’t that important; it doesn’t change anything.”
In mainland China, many recent graduates who cannot find traditional employment have resorted to the so-called flexible employment model. Recently, new terms have emerged online, such as “Ironman Triathlon,” referring to physically demanding jobs like food delivery, courier, and driver; while the “Auspicious Trio” is for older individuals taking on jobs as security guards, housekeepers, or cleaning staff; those with aspirations turning to entrepreneurship engage in the “Entrepreneurial Trilogy” of setting up stalls, opening stores, and creating online content.
As unemployment continues to rise, more people are joining the ranks of food delivery drivers, with some turning part-time delivery work into their main source of income. To maintain their previous earnings, delivery drivers now need to put in more working hours due to fierce competition.
Moreover, following large-scale crackdowns on electric bicycles in multiple provinces and cities in mainland China, food delivery drivers have been severely impacted. According to reports from Newtalk, cities like Shenzhen and Dongguan have initiated extensive enforcement actions leading to the arrest of numerous food delivery drivers. In a tragic incident, a car owner in Hangzhou, Zhejiang reportedly died by suicide by jumping off a bridge following the confiscation of his electric bike by traffic police.
News of food delivery drivers struggling to make ends meet has sparked outrage among many netizens. They criticized the government’s handling of the situation as ineffective and causing distress to the people, expressing sentiments like, “Inadequate governance, disruptive policies,” “They are truly driving people to their deaths,” and “Surviving in China is really tough!”