Worst Unemployment Rate: Why Chinese Youth Are Crying Out "Please Fire Me"

New Slang Terms 'N+1' and 'Tangping' Trending on Chinese SNS
Sudden Halt in Unemployment Rate Announcements

In China, it has been revealed that some young people frequently demand to be fired by their companies in order to receive unemployment benefits.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP), on the 14th (local time), the term 'N+1' ranked high on the real-time search list on Xiaohongshu, the Chinese version of Instagram. 'N+1' is a newly coined term referring to the amount Chinese companies are legally required to pay employees upon dismissal, which is the severance pay plus one month's salary.

SCMP explained, "Those who want to escape stressful workplaces and completely 'tangping' are expressing their desire to be fired through social media." 'Tangping (?平)' means 'lying flat and doing nothing,' referring to an attitude of no longer making efforts due to physical and mental exhaustion.

SCMP reported that the tangping group is striving to be fired because being dismissed means receiving financial compensation and being able to rest comfortably for a while.

[Image source=Pixabay]

This trend is also appearing on social networking services (SNS) within China. One netizen said on the Chinese platform Douban, "I want to be fired from my company." He added, "I have complaints about the company management, team leaders, and colleagues, and the competition is too fierce."

Another netizen said, "I was lucky to receive the 'N+1 severance gift,'" adding, "I was going to apply for annual leave, but now I have a summer vacation."

China Suspends Announcement of Youth Unemployment Rate

Meanwhile, China has ultimately stopped releasing related statistics amid soaring youth unemployment rates.

The National Bureau of Statistics of China did not disclose the youth unemployment rate when announcing the 'July economic indicators' on the 15th.

Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, stated at a press conference, "From August this year, we have decided to stop disclosing the youth unemployment rate." He explained, "The main reason is the need to optimize labor statistics due to economic and social development," adding, "Research will be conducted on whether students seeking jobs before graduation should be included in labor statistics."

China's youth unemployment rate has exceeded 20% for three consecutive months since April, repeatedly setting record highs. However, there are claims that the actual number of unemployed youth is much higher than official statistics.

According to an analysis by Professor Zhang Dandan's team at Peking University last month, the actual unemployment rate among Chinese youth aged 16 to 24 was estimated to be 46.5% as of March.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.