China’s gig workers becoming new normal, but ‘inevitable trend’ comes with a burden
- China has around 200 million gig workers who make a living from various temporary jobs, but they lack the security of traditional employment
Over the past five years, Shao Zhen has mostly been a gig worker, making a living from various temporary jobs including as a vlogger sharing his home decoration experience and a loudspeaker manufacturer and seller.
Before that, the 43-year-old from eastern China’s Zhejiang province had taken up several full-time contracts, including working in a bank and in a computer store, but quit after being “fed up with all the boredom and low pay”.
“In a sense I work gig jobs at my own instigation, but I may also say it’s a forced option because I can’t find satisfactory formal employment,” he said.
Shao is among a growing number who are embracing flexible work amid the rise of the digital economy and growing competition for formal job opportunities as growth of the world’s second-largest economy slows.
In China, the most common forms of gig workers include freelancers, food delivery riders, live-streaming broadcasters and ride-hailing drivers.
