Young recruits drawn to the gig economy

More spare time

Data from life services platform 58.com show that about two in three of those using its module to find gig jobs are born after 1995, and more than half of these users hold bachelor's degrees.

"Income is no longer the sole factor to gauge a gig job or part-time work. Fun and personal growth have become equally important," Zhang said.

Liu Zixi, 31, an environmental assessment engineer in Shanghai, ended her contract with her previous employer a year ago, before joining the gig economy.

She now operates from home for several companies, and her work includes writing environmental assessment reports. Liu said this new form of work pays just as much as her previous job, but she now has more spare time, as she no longer commutes to work.

"I can now arrange my time much more flexibly, as I can write my work reports anywhere, anytime. I also no longer have to line up at popular restaurants after work, because I can get to them before other customers start arriving," Liu said.

Wu Bo, general manager of Shanghai Minpu Human Resources Group, said young people are generally free-spirited and have few worries about the future.

He said that in May, Shanghai introduced a policy to provide social insurance to residents from other areas of the country who are engaged in flexible employment in the city, adding that the policy gives people a better sense of security in choosing a gig job.

Development of the new economy and fresh business formats has also created a variety of job openings in the gig market for applicants to choose from, Wu said.

A decade ago, many young people typically worked in digital products factories, but now they prefer food delivery jobs or driving ride-hailing vehicles, he added.

"Such new forms of work are more rewarding, and workers enjoy a high degree of flexibility. If they run short of money these days, they can work for longer hours. If they want to spend more time on themselves, they just call it a day," Wu said.

Greater mobility nationwide and increasingly advanced information technology also allow many people to work in the gig economy in a city for just a short period, before they move on to other locations, Wu said.

He added that his company's accounts on short-video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou have more than 2 million followers, and such outlets make it easy for gig job recruitment information to reach people from different areas of the country.

"Some people attracted to a particular type of work travel to Shanghai from their hometowns. They make a certain amount of money from the job before moving on to their next destination," Wu said.

Parents of young people today are also different from their predecessors, who had high hopes of their children finding stable, high-paid jobs.

Shen Weiwei, 53, whose son graduated from university in Shanghai this year, said: "Millennials such as my son are now joining the workforce. They are mostly the only child in their family, and they grew up in a time of much better material conditions than previous generations. Instead of making big money, I hope my son will live a healthy and meaningful life that he enjoys."

Shen's son, who works as an intern at an advertising company, has yet to feel the desire to find a better-paid job.

Industry insiders said the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were also an important factor in the gig economy's rise. In recent years, part-time online work and sharing employees have become popular.