Michelle ThompsonLeon Li once played a discreet yet vital role at one of China’s largest tech companies.
As an administrative officer, she tirelessly scheduled meetings, prepared documents, and provided various support to her bosses.
However, in February, she left the company, opting to abandon a stable career and comfortable salary for something less stressful—cleaning homes.
“Every morning when the alarm rang, all I could see was my dull future,” she shared with CNN, reflecting on her previous office job.
Li, 27, is among a growing number of Chinese workers who are leaving high-pressure office jobs for more flexible blue-collar work.
Many of these workers were once employed by some of the nation’s biggest companies.
But these companies are gradually losing their appeal as China’s economy faces challenges such as a property crisis, declining foreign investment, and reduced consumer spending.
China’s economy grew by 4.7% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024, falling short of economists’ expectations and marking the weakest growth since the first quarter of the previous year, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released on Monday.
The long hours and dwindling resources have led employees like Li to reconsider whether it’s worth sacrificing their time and health for higher pay.
“I enjoy cleaning. As living standards improve across the country, the demand for housekeeping services is rising with an ever-expanding market,” said Li, who resides in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
More importantly, she feels happier.
“The change means my head no longer feels dizzy. I feel less mental pressure. And I am full of energy every day,” she explained.
Workers are pushing back against the ‘996’ culture.
Li isn’t the only white-collar worker who has found a better work-life balance by swapping an office job for manual labor.
Alice Wang, 30, using a pseudonym for privacy reasons, previously worked at one of China’s top live-streaming e-commerce platforms, earning 700,000 yuan ($96,310) annually.
She resigned in April, leaving the tech hub of Hangzhou for the more relaxed city of Chengdu, where rent is cheaper, to become a pet groomer.
China’s infamous “996” work culture—working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, common in tech companies, startups, and other private businesses—has driven many employees to quit.
Wang recalled feeling physically weak and “very lifeless and stagnant” in her previous job, where work consumed most of her time.
Now, she feels different.
“The feeling of growth is relatively good,” she said, noting that she’s undergoing grooming training and hopes to open her own store one day. “That’s the longer-term plan,” she added.
This trend of moving from professional to manual jobs comes amid a rising demand for blue-collar workers, according to Chinese recruitment platform Zhaopin.
Leon Li resides in Wuhan, where she recently left her position at a major tech company to enter the cleaning industry.
In its most recent survey published in June, the platform reported that demand for blue-collar jobs—such as food delivery workers, truck drivers, waiters, and technicians—had increased 3.8 times in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2019.
The demand for delivery workers saw the most significant rise, up by 800%, largely due to the growth of takeout food culture following three years of COVID-related lockdowns.
Wages for blue-collar workers have also increased, making these roles more attractive to individuals who might have previously avoided them.
The surge in online shopping has led to a 45.3% increase in the average monthly salary for delivery workers since 2019, from 5,581 yuan ($768) to 8,109 yuan ($1,116), according to the survey.
However, for some college graduates, manual labor wasn’t their preferred choice.
As the economy slows, finding positions for new graduates has become more challenging in a competitive job market.
The survey also indicated that applications from individuals under 25 for blue-collar jobs surged 165% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2019.
China’s unemployment rate for 16-to-24-year-olds hit a staggering 21.3% in June 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which later paused the release of this data while it revised its methodology.
The authorities resumed reporting the figure in January, excluding around 62 million students from the count, as they prioritized studying over job hunting.
Wuhan is a significant commercial hub and serves as the capital of Hubei, a central province in China.
In recent months, the unemployment rate for job seekers aged 16 to 24 has fluctuated between 14.2% and 15.3%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Economists Larry Hu and Zhang Yuxiao from Macquarie noted in a research report last year that China’s services sector, private firms, and small to medium-sized enterprises were once major employers for young workers. However, these sectors have suffered due to weak consumer demand.
David Goodman, director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, pointed out a disconnect between the qualifications produced by universities and the actual needs of the market.
He explained that while China’s economy is shifting towards advanced technology, green tech, and service industries, university education continues to emphasize manufacturing and public service—fields that are either outdated or oversaturated.
“There is a significant issue if the higher education system has not adapted to the rapid changes in the economy’s structure,” he said.
Different kinds of pressure
However, some question whether blue-collar jobs are as stress-free as people like Li and Wang might believe.
A recent video widely shared on Chinese social media highlighted potential issues. The footage showed a barista in Shanghai losing his temper with a customer who threatened to complain. In his frustration, he threw coffee powder at her, becoming the center of a cafe incident that ignited an online debate about the challenges faced by service industry workers.
Negative reviews or complaints can be particularly damaging for businesses in China, where many consumers rely on recommendations from popular social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin (China’s version of TikTok).
The fear of receiving a bad review pressures low-paid workers to avoid any actions that might attract negative attention. While some internet users criticized the barista’s behavior, many expressed sympathy for him.
“The pay is already low, and dealing with complaints makes it even worse. It’s almost better to quit when you’re squeezed by both the company and customers,” commented one online user.
On the other hand, Li, who works six hours a day cleaning homes as a freelancer, finds her experience rewarding. She values the personal connections she forms with her clients and appreciates the care they show her.
“Customers will offer us water, order takeout for us, and remind us to drink water and rest,” she said.
So far, she has no regrets about leaving her office job.
“After a long day, I can go home, eat, and enjoy myself without any additional mental stress,” she added.
