China’s weak economy is creating a lost generation (opens the source in a new tab)
- WSJ reports that China’s Gen Z, raised to believe hard work guarantees a better life, now faces a shrinking job market, burnout and delayed marriage, with some living off savings or their parents.
- AI adds to the squeeze: big employers are quietly trimming staff, managers are less willing to hire inexperienced people, and officials have warned firms not to cut jobs as they adopt AI.
- Urban youth joblessness is near 19%, far above the US rate, and some economists think the true picture is worse than official data.
- ~19%
- urban jobless rate, ages 16 to 24
Why it matters Weak youth hiring is a slow-burning social and consumer problem: delayed marriages and cautious spending can drag on growth for years, and it is an early test of AI’s effect on entry-level work everywhere.
Other side Past technology shifts have created new work, and China’s shrinking population may eventually need automation, so the pain may be about timing rather than permanent.