China’s live-streamers ready for their close-up as official jobs list updated
- Live-streamers, and other positions related to the digital economy and emerging industries, added to China’s list of official professions
Live-streamers and test drivers of smart cars have been added to a list of officially recognised professions in China, a reflection of the country’s growing reliance on its digital sector and smart manufacturing as the economic engines of the future.
Other new professions on the list – 19 in all – include artificial intelligence (AI) system application specialist, planning and operations engineer for cultural products, administrator of intelligent manufacturing systems and bioengineering technician, according to a notice posted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Wednesday.
“The release of new occupations is of great significance for developing jobs, guiding vocational education and training, improving the standards of employees and promoting employment and entrepreneurship,” the ministry said.
China has said that skilled professionals will account for no less than 30 per cent of the working population by 2025.
Recognising emerging professions can “enhance the sense of belonging felt by people in these positions in the workplace” and allow them to “enjoy related national policy benefits”, an unnamed human resources official was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency in May.
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China’s live-streaming industry heats up as millions of would-be hosts vie to break into the field
According to a report by the China Netcasting Services Association, a unit under the National Radio and Television Administration, by the end of 2023 around 15 million people were working in live-streaming in some capacity.