China is learning to accept alternative modes of work
Digital nomads have set up communes across China to opt out of the rat race. Faced with a youth unemployment crisis, Beijing is now backing alternative ways of working.
September 22, 2025
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“The government is very concerned that unemployment could become such a severe problem or crisis that it would threaten legitimacy and political stability,” said Jenny Chan, an associate professor of sociology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
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In interviews with Chan, graduates report finding the job market discouraging. Many are forced to accept salaries of only a few hundred dollars per month or they live off their parents, continue studying and sign up for endless courses and internships to put off taking on work.
“I do not feel young people are very hopeful about the future of China,” Chan said. “They are highly anxious.”
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