A problem of Gen Z is unemployment. This has led in one country to young people visiting fake offices to pretend they have a job.
Which country is it about? China has a problem with unemployment, especially among young people of Gen Z. According to tradingeconomics.com, about 14% of 16-24 year olds are unemployed, even though some graduate with prestigious degrees from universities. Elsewhere, young people do not even go to university because they believe they can get rich another way.
The job market in China makes it difficult for Gen Z to find employment quickly. Instead of simply staying home and doing nothing, they invest money that they actually should be saving.
Current reports show that Gen Z is indeed saving and that one industry is particularly hard hit.
Apparent work for 180 € a month
What is the money spent on? Many young people in China visit specially established offices to spend the day there. The cost: about 6 € per day. Over a month, this amounts to 180 €, and around 2,160 € per year. What sounds like not too much money by German standards is a substantial amount in China.
There, salaries compared to Germany are significantly lower. The average annual salary is around 13,600 € in the non-private sector, and even less in the private sector, about 7,770 € according to early.app.de.
What happens in these offices? It may seem strange that young people without a job also incur additional costs to sit all day in a fake office. They cannot work there, however.
Instead, young people tinker with ideas for their own startups, write job applications, and exchange ideas. To ensure an authentic office atmosphere, there are computers on site, free snacks, drinks, and even lunch. This creates the appearance of having an employment from the outside.
Christian Yao, who works as a lecturer at the School of Management in Wellington, is familiar with the phenomenon. He states that it is widespread in China:
Due to economic change and the discrepancy between education and the job market, young people need these places to reflect on their next steps or to take up casual jobs as a transitional solution… Fake office companies are one of these transitional solutions.
Christian Yao in conversation with BBC
A report from BBC shows that these offices are particularly located in major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, or Wuhan.
Overall, youth unemployment in China has improved since 2023. During the time of and after Corona, it reportedly rose to 46.5%, according to a report by Reuters.
Whether fake offices actually help to find real jobs faster is unclear. The concept is certainly unusual. What do you think about it? Would you utilize such an office? Feel free to let us know in the comments. While some older people believe that young people do not want to work, an expert sees it differently: Gen Z is not lazy, they have different expectations regarding work
