Chengdu, Sichuan Province / June 4, 2024
Zhao Xiaotong (right, 24), Wang Yuanyuan (center, 22), and Ren Jia (left, 24).
The three friends visited Qingyang Temple in Chengdu for fortune-telling a day before attending a large-scale job fair in the city. Although the divinations were all favorable, they remained pessimistic about their employment prospects. Zhao and Ren graduated from university two years ago, and Wang one year ago. Despite attending numerous recruitment events, none have found jobs related to their majors and now rely on part-time work to make a living.
Chengdu, Sichuan Province / June 4, 2024
Lu Mei (28) and Qi Mingchang (25).
Lu and Qi, a same-sex couple who have lived together for over two years, visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding with two girls they have adopted.
According to Daxue Consulting, a market research firm focusing on China, there were about 76.2 million people in the country identifying as LGBT by the end of 2023—roughly 5% of the population. Of these, nearly 27% were under 30. The LGBT community in China continues to advocate for equal rights, including the legalization of same-sex marriage, which remains unrecognized.
Leshan, Sichuan Province / June 5, 2024
Xie Chenyang (31).
Xie takes his 69-year-old father outdoors for daily relaxation. Once an electrical engineer, Xie lost his job when his company collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Since then, he has become a full-time caregiver for his paralyzed father.
In China, young people like Xie are known as “full-time children”—those who stay home to care for their parents instead of working. Many have left the workforce after job losses or career setbacks, finding purpose and family approval in domestic roles. Behind this phenomenon lies China’s high unemployment rate.
Chongqing / June 13, 2024
Zhang Haosheng (32).
Standing outside the 42nd floor of Chongqing Raffles Tower, Zhang cleans the building’s glass façade.
Zhang once owned three coffee shops, which closed two years ago due to heavy financial losses, leaving him deep in debt. He now works as a high-rise cleaner—known locally as a “Spider-Man”—to pay off his debts. The job is dangerous but relatively well-paid.
With China’s economy in prolonged decline, countless small and micro businesses have gone bankrupt amid property and debt crises, affecting an estimated 180 million workers. Analysts warn that this could spark significant social challenges.
Chongqing / June 15, 2024
Wu Ping (32).
Wu poses for a photo taken by a friend before attending a matchmaking event for older singles.
In China, women over 28 who remain unmarried are often labeled as “leftover women” or “older female youth.” Many face pressure from parents to marry and start families, while opportunities to find suitable partners diminish with age. There are currently an estimated 7.5 million unmarried young women in China.
Chongqing / July 2, 2024
Yan Yanyan (28).
After interviewing for a clerical position at a state-owned enterprise in the morning, Yan received a phone call during lunch informing her that she had not been selected. She felt helpless but not surprised.
More than 520 people—many holding graduate degrees—had applied for the same position. With only a high school diploma, Yan knew her chances were slim.
China’s ongoing economic crisis has left many young people unable to find stable employment. Without deep structural reforms to its economic system, analysts say youth unemployment is unlikely to improve in the short term.
Chongqing / July 2, 2024
A group of young women wait at a domestic worker market in Chongqing, hoping to be hired as nannies. Just a few years ago, nanny jobs were mostly taken by older rural women. Today, due to fierce competition in the labor market, many young urban women are also seeking such work.
Chongqing / August 2, 2024
Yuan Hongqi (31).
Married for five years without children, Yuan and her husband face constant pressure from both sets of parents to start a family. A Buddhist, Yuan visited Chongqing’s Arhat Temple to pray that the Bodhisattva might persuade her parents to stop urging her.
In the first half of 2024, China recorded only 4.33 million births—far below expectations. Since 2017, the birth rate has declined steadily, raising fears of population imbalance and long-term economic impact. Yet among younger generations, attitudes toward parenthood have grown markedly indifferent.
Shenzhen, Guangdong Province / February 3, 2023
Zhong Shi (31).
Zhong was waiting for his long separated wife in Central Park, to go to the Shenzhen Civil Affairs Bureau to handle the divorce procedures.
In 2023, China recorded 2.593 million divorces, with a divorce rate of 1.84%. Marriage and family structures in China are undergoing significant changes, marriage rates continue to decline year by year, while divorce rates are rising and family sizes are shrinking. Correspondingly, gender roles and family values among young people are also shifting.
Maotai Town, Guizhou Province / July 30, 2024
Liang Qilong (24).
Liang sprinkles sorghum over fermenting glutinous rice in a small liquor workshop in Maotai Town.
A psychology graduate from the University of South Carolina, Liang returned to China in June 2023 and spent a year searching unsuccessfully for a job in cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou. He eventually returned home to work as a manual laborer in a local distillery.
Chinese students who study abroad and return home are known as “overseas returnees.” Once highly sought after, many now struggle to find employment amid a sluggish economy. The plight of returnees reflects a broader slowdown that has reshaped expectations across China’s young workforce.
