Guangzhou’s growing army of gig workers adds to economic, job concerns

Almost one in five of the workforce in Guangzhou have turned to work in flexible contracts, higher than China’s national level of 14.3 per cent

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He Huifengin Guangdong

Published: 11:00am, 29 Oct 2024Updated: 1:01pm, 29 Oct 2024

A higher than average number of gig workers in one of China’s four tier-one cities has become apparent to residents of Guangzhou at a time the city’s gross domestic product growth is slowing and its economic structures are changing.

Around 19 per cent of workforce in the capital city of Guangdong, China’s top provincial economy and top exporter, have turned to work in flexible contracts, such as food delivery riders, live-streaming broadcasters, ride-hailing drivers and casual domestic helpers, according to a survey released by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) earlier this month.

The figure is higher than the national level of 14.3 per cent, according to the government-backed news website Sfccn.

“More people in Guangzhou are making a living on various temporary jobs. It makes me worry about job prospects,” said fresh university graduate Li Xi, who has found a job in the private sector.

The results are based on a survey of 3,000 households last year. The city has a population of about 18.8 million.

Men dominate the takeaway rider, courier and ride-hailing sectors, according to the survey, with an average age of 39 and 62 hours worked per week.