New occupations for the new era

Cooking is a physically demanding and time-consuming job. Also, it takes time to commute to a client's home, so it's not an ideal full-time job. But for those who love to cook and are good at it, cooking for people at their home is a good part-time job option, Cao said.

"It's a good thing that more young people have started to provide in-home chef service, which is in high demand. As Chinese people's living standards continue to improve, more occupations may emerge in the future," Cao added.

In September 2022, China added 158 new professions to its list of recognized occupations since 2015, taking the total number of professions on the country's newly revised list to 1,639, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said.

People's evident need for consumption upgrading, thanks to the continuous improvement in their living standards, has stimulated a batch of new occupations recognized by the ministry in recent years, including wardrobe organizers, healthcare providers, respiratory therapists and capacity assessors for the elderly.

Besides, the advances in digital technologies have fueled the platform economy, which in turn has given rise to delivery personnel for online orders, taxi-hailing service providers, and other new occupations.

"Maybe in-home chef service provider will be officially recognized (as an occupation) in the country one day," said Cao, who has taken two orders during the Labor Day holiday from a social media platform.

Working in pet industry

Furthermore, with the increase in pet ownership in China, the country's pet industry has seen rapid growth. From 2015 to 2023, pet consumption is expected to grow from 72.5 billion yuan ($10.51 billion) to an estimated 445.6 billion yuan, according to the 2021 White Paper on China's Pet Consumption Trends by iResearch Consulting Group, a Chinese market research firm offering consultancy services.

Accordingly, new occupations related to the pet industry have also emerged, veterinary weight loss trainer being just one of them.

Ye Pijing works as a veterinary physical therapist at a veterinary center in Shanghai.

She is also a veterinary weight loss trainer because she's also good at helping dogs lose weight, which an increasing number of dog owners today find necessary.

"Pet owners in China see their pets as family members and want them to live a healthy and long life. Like human beings, weight gain for pets can lead to many health problems including putting too much pressure on their joints. So weight loss programs for pets have become popular in China in recent years," Ye said.

At the Shanghai veterinary center, each dog has a customized weight-loss program. Ye uses different kinds of tools such as balance boards to force the dogs to use more of their muscles. "Most of the dogs quickly fall asleep after the first session of the program because it's very physically demanding," Ye said.

A client even traveled all the way from Beijing so Ye could help his six-year-old border collie lose weight and build up muscles after a joint replacement surgery, she said. After a month of training, the dog lost 1.2 kilograms and the muscles in its hind legs became stronger.

Moreover, the owner of an eight-year-old Alaskan malamute has been taking his dog to see Ye for weight loss for the past two years.

At the start of the weight loss program, the dog weighed 62.5 kg and had started to develop health problems. Now, it weighs about 47.6 kg and has become more active, Ye said. "People want the best for their pets and keeping them healthy is their priority."