NYT WORLD: In China, Young People Ditch Prestige Jobs for Manual Labor
By Vivian Wang and Zixu Wang
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: April 11, 2023 at 03:00AM
Then, last year, she quit. She now works as a groomer at a chain pet store, for one-fifth of her previous salary. She spends hours on her feet, wearing a uniform in place of her once carefully selected outfits.
And she is delighted.
“I was tired of living like that. I didn’t feel like I was getting anything from the work,” Ms. Liu said of her previous job, where she said she had little creative freedom, often worked overtime, and felt her mental and physical health deteriorating. “So I thought, there’s no need anymore.”
By Vivian Wang and Zixu Wang
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: April 11, 2023 at 03:00AM
Some people who’ve walked away from China’s grueling corporate culture say it’s worth the financial sacrifice. “I was tired of living like that,” one said.
By the usual measures, Loretta Liu had it made. She graduated in 2018 from one of China’s top universities, rented an apartment in the glamorous city of Shenzhen, and had been hired as a visual designer at a series of high-flying companies, even as youth unemployment in China was reaching record highs.Then, last year, she quit. She now works as a groomer at a chain pet store, for one-fifth of her previous salary. She spends hours on her feet, wearing a uniform in place of her once carefully selected outfits.
And she is delighted.
“I was tired of living like that. I didn’t feel like I was getting anything from the work,” Ms. Liu said of her previous job, where she said she had little creative freedom, often worked overtime, and felt her mental and physical health deteriorating. “So I thought, there’s no need anymore.”
Read More at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/11/world/asia/china-youth-employment.html
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