China: Unemployed youth pay to pretend to work

In China, a growing trend sees unemployed young people paying companies to use their offices and pretend to work. This practice is linked to the weak economy and high youth unemployment, which remains above 14%.

Several young people prefer to pay for a workspace rather than stay at home. For example, Shui Zhou, 30, started paying 30 yuan (approximately $4.20) per day to the Pretend To Work Company in Dongguan city, after a failed catering business in 2024. There, he meets others doing the same.