cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/42917753 > Archived > > […] > > China’s National Bureau of Statistics published new data on Wednesday showing that urban youth unemployment rose to a two-year high last month. According to the data, the rate of unemployed youth aged 16 to 24 (excluding students) rose from 17.8 percent in June to 18.9 percent in August, nearing the historical peak of 21.3 percent in June 2023. This development underscores how even in a country that censors and “optimizes” negative data, a harsh economic landscape continues to frustrate millions of Chinese youth. > > After the peak in 2023, government officials suspended the publication of youth unemployment data for several months and revised their methodology to yield lower figures. Articles discussing the state of the Chinese economy have also been censored online, including one on WeChat from March titled “Ten Questions About the Chinese Economy in 2025,” and a similar list of ten economic questions in 2023. A meme comparing masses of youth at a job fair to the Terracotta Warriors was likewise taken down from the internet in May. Upon hearing about the latest youth unemployment figures, Chinese netizens on Weibo and X joked about the sensitivity and unreliability of such statistics, as documented by CDT Chinese editors: > > […] > > Earlier this month, Barclay Bram at the Asia Society Policy Institute published a report examining how youth unemployment has changed Chinese society. Bram described the variety of issues complicating the labor market for Chinese youth, including 12.22 million new university graduates this year (an increase of 430,000 over 2024), an ongoing trade war with the U.S., and disruptions from AI. Here is an excerpt from a summary of the report: > > >In addition, China is struggling with deflationary pressures that have reshaped the consumption habits of people aged 20 to 39, the country’s highest-spending demographic, which is a further drag on job creation. Amid rising unemployment and the decline of traditional manufacturing jobs, many college graduates have resorted to delivery work. > > >“More than 20% of the drivers for the two largest platforms, Ele.me and Meituan, have college degrees; as of 2022, at least 70,000 drivers held master’s degrees,” notes Bram. “That so many highly educated young people find themselves working menial jobs is indicative of the broader labor market.” Bram also discusses the psychological impact of unemployment on young Chinese, including the rise of “revenge against society attacks,” random outbreaks of violence that have occurred with increasing frequency. > > >“By 2023, the majority [of Chinese citizens] saw inequality as a structural failing, related to unequal opportunities, corruption, and a failing economy. This is important, as CCP rule is bolstered by performance legitimacy,” argues Bram. “As growth wanes and the system is no longer seen as equal or able to provide, the CCP will need new forms of legitimacy.” > > […]