In a departure from the “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” encouraged among China’s youth in the 2010s, in a new survey the country’s Generation Z has defined its life and career ideals around flexibility and financial freedom.
“Freelancer” was the most favoured career for those born between 1995 and 2009, according to a report released on July 25 by Forvis Mazars, an international provider of advisory and consulting services.
Based on the preferences of 4,171 respondents, the study presents a new portrait of the values, lifestyles, and careers sought after by 260 million young Chinese. In a ranking of their “ideal career,” 49 per cent of respondents included “freelancer”.
“Public sector employee” was the second most common result with 47 per cent, followed by “technical professional” with 39 per cent, “corporate employee” with 34 per cent and “entrepreneur” with 31 per cent.
A relatively low position for entrepreneurship indicates its waning appeal among young Chinese, with some saying a laggard economy has diminished the allure of starting a business.
“The economy was poor during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it’s even worse now,” said 23-year-old Crystal Pang, a recent graduate with an education degree currently job-hunting in Shenzhen.