China’s economy continues to struggle, with local governments facing budget deficits and having to cut salaries and bonuses for public servants. To address this issue, various regions have started implementing policies to encourage public servants to take on part-time jobs. Following Hunan’s lead in relaxing restrictions on public servants working secondary jobs, a public servant in Sichuan recently received a notice from his unit to start delivering takeout after work, sparking attention on social media.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, Mr. Sun, who works within the system in Suining, Sichuan, shared his experience of delivering takeout recently.
On July 10, Mr. Sun’s unit issued a notice allowing staff to engage in secondary jobs, prompting him to start delivering takeout and submitting an application. As of July 21, he had been delivering takeout for six days. Mr. Sun mentioned that he starts receiving orders around 8 p.m. after work, working around three hours each day, and earns over 100 yuan (RMB) per day.
Mr. Sun previously worked as a firefighter for 12 years before transitioning to his current job in the discipline inspection department of a unit in Chuanshan District, Suining City.
On July 22, the topic labeled “Public Servants Respond to Delivering Takeout Part-time After Work” trended online.
Netizens commented, questioning whether public servants were being owed wages, expressing surprise that even public servants are now having to take on additional jobs, and noting the challenges of earning money in the current economic environment. They also highlighted the importance of having multiple income streams to make ends meet.
Publicly available information shows that full-time delivery drivers earn an average of 300-400 yuan per day (handling around 30 orders in a 10-hour shift), while part-time hourly rates range from 20 to 30 yuan.
Prior to this, Hunan authorities had announced that public servants could engage in part-time work.
In a social media post, the Hunan Daily stated that government employees working part-time jobs after office hours, whether delivering takeout, earning royalties from writing novels, conducting fitness classes, or selling agricultural products, are all within the permissible scope, as long as there is no conflict of interest, supervisors are aware, and it does not impact their primary job.
Notably, columnist Yuan Bin, in an article published by Dajiyuan, noted that this shift indicates a decline in public servants’ income and seeks to alleviate financial and employment pressures by allowing them to take on additional work. He highlighted how in the past, engaging in secondary jobs by institutional employees was seen as misconduct, but now, as long as it does not violate regulations or affect work performance, it is considered legitimate labor.
This transformation reflects a fundamental change in China’s economic structure adjustment process, with the line between institutional and market activities becoming increasingly blurred. He speculated that in the absence of economic improvement and the tightening of local finances, more regions may follow Hunan’s lead in the future.