"Why Is Everything So Expensive?"... The Side Jobs Chinese Millennials & Gen Z Rush to After Work

The Number of Millennials & Gen Z Taking On Side Jobs Surges Annually

Digital Side Hustles and On-Site Labor on the Rise

Due to the economic slowdown and high inflation, young generations in China are diving into various "N-job (side job)" fronts.

The Chinese current affairs weekly, Southern Wind Window, on July 29 featured stories about Chinese Millennials & Gen Z (born in the early 1980s to early 2000s) who are working side jobs.

China's young generation is entering various "N-jobs (side jobs)" due to the economic slowdown and high inflation. AI-generated image.

Seeking AI-Related Side Jobs on Secondhand Platforms

Li, an office worker living in Shanghai, helps manage a friend's online shopping mall after work, earning an additional 400 to 500 yuan per month (about 85,000 won to 106,000 won). She also handles video editing on video platforms, earning over 1,000 yuan (about 213,000 won) per month based on the number of videos edited.

Xuan, 24 years old, has been working as a gaming assistant since college, earning 60 yuan (about 12,000 won) per hour. As her skills have improved, she now earns an additional 10,000 yuan (about 2,135,000 won) per month.

The magazine diagnosed that the number of Millennials & Gen Z engaging in side jobs is surging every year. According to the "Research on New Youth Job Trends in Digital Platforms," published at the end of last year by China's Research Center for New Forms of Employment, approximately 19.62 million people registered various talent and skill services on the Xianyu secondhand transaction platform during the past year alone. About 30% of them reportedly spend more than 30 hours a week active on the platform.

In particular, the growth of AI-related side jobs has been remarkable. In the first half of this year alone, the number of AI-related service transactions reached 9,816,000, a 157% increase from the previous year. Over the past six months, about 5 million people used AI services on Xianyu, which is a 98% year-on-year increase. More than 60% of AI service providers on Xianyu are young people between the ages of 18 and 35.

Professor Qian Jing of the Department of Business Administration at Beijing Normal University commented on this trend, stating, "The younger generation is actively broadening their career horizons," and added, "It reflects their desire to create new sources of income and realize their potential in an era of high inflation."

From Reviews to Delivery Riders: A Wide Range of Jobs

Due to the economic slowdown and high inflation, it has been found that young generations in China are diving into various 'N jobs (side hustles)'. Photo to aid understanding of the article. Pexels.

Millennials & Gen Z are not limiting themselves to digital side work through platforms; they also take on on-site labor. Gao Xiong, who lives in Gansu Province, works at a public institution and receives a monthly salary of over 8,000 yuan (about 1,810,000 won). Although this is by no means a low wage locally, he started side jobs last year to cover his mortgage, car installments, and daughter's school admission fees. He posts various reviews on his own account, earning about 1,000 yuan (about 210,000 won) a day. In addition, he works as a delivery rider, completing about 20 deliveries per day and earning 140 yuan (about 30,000 won) daily.

The magazine noted, "Even though office workers in their 30s are living more affluent lives than their parents' generation, the pressures of life have actually intensified due to economic growth slowdown and high inflation," and added, "Splitting their time and generating income through areas of personal interest and skill has become the way of life for the young generation."

Meanwhile, in recent years, China's declining real estate market, slowing economic growth, and high inflation have converged as social challenges, contributing to worsening low birthrates and youth unemployment. According to Chinese media reports, as domestic consumption continues to weaken, China's economic growth rate in the first half of the year was only 4.7%, and the growth rate in the second quarter was 4.3%, marking the lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2022, when COVID-19 was widespread.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.