China’s economy continues to decline, with many young people facing the risks of unemployment and pay cuts. In response, a growing number of them are turning to side jobs, with social media platforms becoming one of their main choices. Statistics show that there are over 80 million people in China engaged in side jobs. However, some part-timers have expressed that “earning money is tough”.
After three years of control and lockdowns due to the pandemic, China’s economy has been severely damaged. Even after lifting the restrictions, the economy has struggled to recover. Employees in the public sector, finance, construction, and other industries are facing pay cuts, layoffs, and reduced hiring, prompting many young people to consider developing side businesses.
Mr. Yang, who works in architectural design, has around 5,000 followers on the platform “Xiaohongshu” (Little Red Book). He told a news agency that his motivation for taking on a side job was to have some income in case he became unemployed. He had experienced a period of unemployment between 2023 and 2024.
Currently, he earns around 200 yuan (RMB) for reposting a text advertisement and 300 yuan for reposting a short video ad. However, if an account posts too many ads, its reach will be decreased. Therefore, along with taking on ad campaigns, he also has to work hard to update “regular” content to maintain the readability of his account.
The advertisements that Mr. Yang reposts vary, including ads for coffee, suits, and the promotional activities of a local government sports park in Shanghai. He mentioned that initially he hoped to choose ads that matched his interests, but he found it too difficult, so he kept expanding the scope of ads.
Nevertheless, he also mentioned that “earning money is tough”, especially in 2024, which was harder than 2023 because of increased competition.
Similarly, 32-year-old Li Yuanqing (pseudonym), who is also in the architectural design industry, has not yet faced unemployment. However, affected by the sluggish real estate market and economic downturn, he has started to develop his skills in managing side businesses in the past six months.
Reports indicate that he entered the market from his professional perspective, planning city walking routes and selling guides he designed through the Xiaohongshu platform, pricing them at 20-40 yuan each. Users can also purchase his guided tour services, which last 2-3 hours for a group of 2-4 people, at a cost of 350-600 yuan.
He admitted that the initial investment in this side business was high with low returns. He noted that not many of his unemployed friends are engaged in side jobs because they are married and have high expenses. Once they become unemployed, they urgently look for the next full-time job.
A survey conducted in 2023 by Nanjing University revealed that over 80 million people in China are engaged in side jobs while working, which means about 1 in every 5 workers is involved in a side business.
According to a report released by the idle trading platform “Xianyu”, the number of people engaged in side businesses on the platform in 2024 reached 9.454 million, a significant increase compared to previous years, but the average annual income was only 3,660.5 yuan.