Young people in China fed up with relentless work demands and a slowing economy are 'naked quitting'
As China's economy struggles, young people are increasingly turning to social media to vent their frustration over having to work long hours for less pay amid a struggling economy. Some millennials and gen z are posting about their plans to quit the corporate culture and travel.
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TVTranscript
00:00Chen Zijun is learning how to put up a fight.
00:07But not that long ago, she had no fight left.
00:12I felt drained. I kept on delivering.
00:16I didn't have time to rest or learn something new.
00:19This type of work and life is not what I want, so I chose to quit.
00:23Zijun is part of a group of young people choosing to opt out of China's relentless work culture.
00:29She decided to naked quit, meaning she left her job without a back-up plan in place.
00:34And she's been documenting that journey online.
00:38Still, there are lots of people who choose naked quitting.
00:42If the situation is not improved, naked quitting will only become more popular.
00:47Of course the young people will feel burnt out.
00:50Most of their awake hours are just work with limited material return.
00:58On the back of the pandemic, China's economic growth has slowed amid an ongoing real estate crisis and high youth unemployment.
01:06At the same time, a record number of young people are graduating from university into a competitive market.
01:13There's this new phenomenon they call work-life integration.
01:18And just in a way, forget about your personal life.
01:21Every aspect is permeated by workplace culture.
01:26It's hard to know exactly how many young people are opting out of the rat race.
01:31But a survey by a Chinese social media app found that around 70% of young respondents weren't afraid of quitting without another job lined up.
01:40However, this path is only really available to those who can afford it.
01:46If one is from a not-well-off family, then it's simply not possible to disengage.
01:51You have to take the best job. It might be below the job you want, but you take what job you can get.
01:58For now, Zijun is trying to figure out what matters to her most.
02:02Through Muay Thai, I'm exercising every day to keep myself in a good headspace, so I can make a better decision for my next step.
02:11A personal battle anyone can relate to.