Gig economy gets a boost in China but experts question whether it can be a sustainable fix for unemployment
- Flexible work opportunities in China are booming – particularly at logistics companies where delivery staff and drivers are in hot demand
- The move towards temporary work has also been backed by Beijing amid a spike in unemployment during the pandemic
The year 2020 will go down in history as one of the most disruptive in the modern era – with people’s every day working lives changed forever by the impact of Covid-19.
And China, the world’s most populous nation, has been no exception with Wuhan at the centre of the initial coronavirus outbreak.
In previous years, Ma Haiyan’s parents would have left home in Sichuan province after the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the celebration of the Lunar New Year, to go back to work in Shanxi province. But this year was different.
Income uncertainty cast a shadow over Ma’s family in 2020 - a problem faced by many of China’s 290 million migrant workers as China’s economy struggled under the impact of Covid-19. Instead, the 25-year-old university student decided to open her own courier station in March, amid booming demand in the logistics industry for extra help as millions more people shop online amid coronavirus lockdowns.
Even her parents stayed at home to help operate the logistics services station, earning commission via sending and storing parcels for collection by customers in the local community.
“My parents now earn pretty much what they could make when working [in other cities],” Ma said. “Our family is finally together. I’m no longer a left-behind child and my grandparents will not be left behind either.”