Amidst China’s struggling economy and heightened unemployment rates, a curious trend is emerging among the younger generation. A growing number of young individuals are deliberately seeking termination from their jobs, aiming to avail themselves of the ensuing downtime and contractual compensation.
This phenomenon has gained significant traction, to the point that the phrase “young people are expecting N+1” recently topped the search list on the prominent mainland social media platform, Xiaohongshu, on August 14.
The term “N+1” alludes to the statutory obligation for Chinese companies to provide employees with a severance payment plus an additional month’s salary upon dismissal.
Across social media channels, a surge of voices is expressing the desire to be let go by their employers. This choice is driven by a yearning to break free from stressful work environments and embrace a lifestyle characterized by minimal engagement, a concept commonly known as “lie flat” or “tang ping” in Chinese.
Amidst these sentiments, China’s technology sector, previously a beacon for young, educated professionals, has recently witnessed a wave of layoffs. Industry giant Tencent Holdings, known for messaging and video games, has shed nearly 10,000 jobs between March 2022 and the present year, as outlined in the company’s earnings report. Equally noteworthy is the substantial workforce reduction undertaken by e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post. In the previous year, the company downsized its workforce by nearly 20,000 individuals, constituting seven percent of its total employees.
As the Chinese job market grapples with challenges, young individuals are exploring unconventional pathways, reflecting the evolving dynamics of work-life balance and the changing priorities of the emerging workforce.
