Didi Chuxing says it employs 3.9 million retired soldiers as drivers, easing China’s jobless veterans problem

Didi Chuxing, China’s ride hailing giant, employs around 3.9 million military veterans as drivers, according to a report co-authored by Didi and the China Veterans Employment and Entrepreneurship Service Association.

The number of retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers working as Didi drivers represents up to 6.8 per cent of the total number of retired soldiers in the country, the report said, adding that the sharing economy has proved it can help solve the long term problem of Chinese veterans finding work after they finish military service.

Experts say it is often difficult for veterans to transition from military to civilian life because many private businesses don’t require the skills of retired soldiers, which focus on martial arts and combat. As a result, retired soldiers usually need training before they can take on jobs in the private sector.

China has 57 million veterans and the numbers grow significantly each year as the government seeks to cut the size of the armed forces by 300,000 to help build a leaner and more efficient fighting force. After several large-scale protests last year in which veterans demanded better retirement welfare, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to tackle the issue.

The report found that retired soldiers working for Didi receive high passenger ratings on the platform, with 98 per cent of bookings processed by these drivers getting a five-star (out of five) review. That can partially be attributed to the military training drivers receive, with about 57 per cent of veteran drivers having more than 10 years driving experience, 9 per cent higher than the average of all drivers on the platform.