國際時事跟讀 Ep.K659: China's Youth Embrace the "Great Resignation" Trend
Highlights 摘要：
- Chinese youth are increasingly leaving their corporate jobs in search of more meaningful and fulfilling lives, mirroring the global "Great Resignation" trend.
- The education system's expansion has led to a significant gap between the skills of Chinese workers and the jobs available to them.
- China faces potential long-term challenges due to a shrinking workforce caused by declining birth rates and an aging population, which may be exacerbated by the resignation trend.
In China's Zhejiang province, a peculiar trend is emerging as young people celebrate quitting their jobs with elaborate resignation parties. Liang, a 27-year-old former banker, recently experienced one such celebration. Friends adorned him with flowers under a banner that boldly declared, "We're done with this bullsh*t job!" These resignation parties feature traditional elements like gongs, drums, lanterns, and "double happiness" signs, reminiscent of wedding ceremonies. Liang's decision to leave a stable, well-paying job may seem perplexing, given China's uncertain economic climate and record-high youth unemployment. However, he's not alone in seeking a happier, more fulfilling life beyond corporate drudgery.
在中國浙江省，一種奇特的趨勢正在興起，年輕人正在以精心籌備的辭職派對來慶祝離職。27歲的梁姓前銀行員最近就經歷了這樣一次慶祝活動。朋友們為他戴上鮮花，並在旗幟下大聲宣告：“我們已經受夠了這份爛工作！”這些辭職派對包括銅鑼、鼓樂、紅燈籠和「囍」字標誌等傳統元素，令人聯想到婚禮儀式。梁決定離開一份穩定而高薪的工作，可能看似令人困惑，尤其是在中國經濟環境不明朗以及年輕人失業率創記錄高峰的情況下。然而，他並不是唯一一個希望擺脫公司苦工，尋找更快樂、更有意義生活的人。
Liang's dissatisfaction with his former job stemmed from the monotony and stifled creativity he encountered in the bank's public relations department. He felt that innovative ideas went unappreciated and eventually disappeared. This sentiment resonates with many young Chinese workers who have embarked on similar journeys. The internet is abuzz with stories of individuals who have experienced a significant boost in happiness after quitting their jobs.
梁對他前工作的不滿源自於他在銀行公共關係部門遇到的單調和創意受限。他感到創新的想法不被重視，最終消失無蹤。這種情感與許多年輕中國勞工的類似經歷相呼應。網路上充斥著許多辭職後幸福感大幅提升的人的故事。
Social media platforms in China are flooded with posts about resignation parties, with most participants in their twenties citing various reasons for leaving, including low wages and burnout. According to Maimai, China's equivalent of LinkedIn, 28% of the surveyed employees across various sectors resigned in 2022, with double that number intending to do so. While a similar "Great Resignation" movement occurred in the United States, the trend appears to be just beginning in China.
中國的社群媒體平台上充斥著關於辭職派對的貼文，大多數參與者都是二十多歲的年輕人，他們列舉了各種離職原因，包括低薪和工作倦怠。根據中國的「脈脈」，相當於中國版的LinkedIn，2022年在不同行業受訪的員工中，有28%在該年辭職，計劃辭職但尚未辭職者則是兩倍的人數。這種「大規模辭職」運動從美國發生，而這個趨勢在中國似乎才剛要開始。
The root cause of this disillusionment among young Chinese workers can be traced back to their childhoods, characterized by intense academic competition and the relentless pursuit of corporate success. The one-child policy and high parental expectations have placed immense pressure on this generation. They believed that their sacrifices would lead to financial success, only to face the harsh reality of stagnating salaries and high unemployment rates.
年輕中國勞工這種幻滅感的根本原因可以追溯到他們的童年，這段時間充滿了激烈的學術競爭和對企業成功的不懈追求。一胎化政策和高度的家長期望給這一代人帶來了巨大的壓力。他們曾相信，付出的犧牲將帶來財務成功，但最終卻面臨了薪資停滯和高失業率的殘酷現實。
Furthermore, there is a significant mismatch between the education levels of many Chinese workers and the jobs available to them. The education system in China has expanded rapidly, leading to a surplus of highly educated individuals in jobs that don't require advanced skills. This discrepancy has contributed to low job satisfaction among workers.
此外，許多中國勞工的教育水平與他們所從事的工作之間嚴重不符。中國的教育體系發展迅速，導致了過多受過高度教育的人在不需要高級技能的工作中工作。這種差異導致勞工較低的工作滿意度。
As China grapples with these challenges, it faces a long-term issue – a shrinking workforce due to declining birth rates. This demographic shift poses economic problems, as a smaller working-age population will need to support a growing elderly population. The "Great Resignation" trend could potentially impact fertility rates, further exacerbating the country's demographic issues.
在應對這些挑戰的同時，中國面臨著一個長期問題—由於出生率下降，勞動市場的人數不斷減少。這種人口結構的變化帶來了經濟問題，因為較少的勞動年齡層需要支持不斷增長的老年人口。「大規模辭職」趨勢可能會對生育率產生潛在影響，進一步加劇中國的人口問題。
The rise of resignation parties and the "Great Resignation" trend among China's youth is a reflection of their desire for more meaningful and fulfilling lives. It highlights the challenges posed by a competitive education system, job market mismatch, and demographic shifts. While it remains to be seen how this trend will evolve, it underscores the need for structural changes in China's workforce and education system to address the growing discontent among its youth.
辭職派對的興起和「大規模辭職」趨勢反映了中國青年尋求更有意義和充實生活的願望。這凸顯了競爭激烈的教育體系、就業市場不相符以及人口結構變化所帶來的挑戰。雖然尚不清楚這一趨勢將如何演變，但它凸顯了中國需要對勞動力和教育體系進行結構性改革，以應對年輕人日益增長的不滿情緒。
Keyword Drills 關鍵字：
- Disillusionment (Dis-il-lu-sion-ment): The root cause of this disillusionment among young Chinese workers can be traced back to their childhoods.
- Resignation (Re-sig-na-tion): In China's Zhejiang province, a peculiar trend is emerging as young people celebrate quitting their jobs with elaborate resignation parties.
- Monotony (Mo-not-o-ny): Liang's dissatisfaction with his former job stemmed from the monotony and stifled creativity he encountered in the bank's public relations department.
- Demographic (De-mo-graph-ic): This demographic shift poses economic problems, as a smaller working-age population will need to support a growing elderly population.
- Fertility (Fer-til-i-ty): The "Great Resignation" trend could potentially impact fertility rates, further exacerbating the country's demographic issues.
Reference article: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/05/economy/china-youth-resignation-parties-intl-hnk/index.html