Fake jobs and fake data the new reality in China
‘Pretending to work’ is a growing trend and comes at a time when economic numbers are being doctored
Fake jobs, fake offices and a fake future. Career opportunities have become so scarce for China’s young workforce that many feel compelled to hide their unemployment status from family and friends.
In short, they “pretend to work” by paying around 30 yuan (US$4) per day for nine-to-five imaginary jobs. Packages include office space, lunch, snacks, and Wi-Fi, as well as interactions with faux supervisors.
“This quirky business model is a hit among young professionals reeling from layoffs in collapsing industries or fleeing toxic workplaces,” media platform RADII revealed.
“These spaces offer a psychological lifeline, helping jobless twenty-somethings dodge prying family questions and maintain a sense of structure during uncertain times,” the website, linked to the South China Morning Post, stated.
Yet this growing trend comes at a time when unemployment among those aged 16 to 24 is in double digits, despite doctored official data. The numbers are also three times higher than the national urban average of 5.2% for the first half of the year.
Fudged figures:
- China’s GDP growth was down at 5.2% in the second quarter compared to the first three months, the National Bureau of Statistics reported today.
- Retail sales slowed to 4.8% in June, while industrial output jumped 6.8% year-on-year last month, the fastest pace since March.
Chinese officials have stopped publishing hundreds of data points.
The Wall Street Journal
Delve deeper: Still, the property crisis has continued to stunt growth, leaving homeowners poorer after the 2020 crash sparked a massive real estate shock. Up to 70% of household wealth remains tied up in bricks and mortar.
Between the lines: “The greatest property bubble in history has already destroyed $18 trillion of household wealth,” research firm ICIS, which is part of the LexisNexis group, revealed in a study released earlier this year.
Big picture: No wonder Beijing is trying to cover up the facts with fake figures. “Not long ago, anyone could comb through a wide range of official data from China. Then it started to disappear,” The Wall Street Journal reported in May.
Bottom line: “In all, Chinese officials have stopped publishing hundreds of data points,” including crucial statistics surrounding unemployment among the young.
Why it matters: In 2023, China Factor highlighted that the real jobless total for those aged 16 to 24 was as high as 46%, according to Zhang Dandan, of the prestigious Peking University. Beijing simply changed the calculation process.
China Factor comment: Now, fake jobs and fake data appear to be the new reality in the world’s second-largest economy amid global trade tension and Trump tariffs.