China’s Gen Z Is Anxious, and Beijing Has Few Answers
In response to deepening malaise, the government has sought to smooth the path to good jobs for recent college grads. The measures might not be enough.
Worried youth.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
China’s young people are stressed out. Already rattled by the protracted Covid-19 pandemic that has upended life just as the nation’s Gen Z transitions into adulthood, recent college grads are grappling with an increasingly daunting job market.
For years China’s fast-growing economy easily absorbed newly minted degree holders into corporate careers. But recent government moves to rein in booming sectors including tech and real estate have slowed hiring for those lucrative jobs. Those who do land coveted positions with one of China’s powerhouse companies often find themselves working long hours with little job security.