China’s Netizens Rage Against Professor Who Said Gig Work Was a Type of ‘Welfare’
The remarks drew criticism as China’s flexible workforce is projected to reach 320 million this year, according to a research center.
- Last week, Peking University professor Zhang Dandan sparked public anger on the financial show "Let's Talk" by describing gig work as a form of "welfare," drawing backlash over her characterization of "flexibility."
- The China New Employment Forms Research Center estimates 320 million people, or about 44% of China's urban workforce, now hold flexible jobs, heightening long-term risks for strained pension and welfare systems.
- Zhang previously noted that on-demand workers made up 31% of China's manufacturing sector, rising to 80% during peak seasons; critics labeled her recent comments insensitive, with one Weibo user writing they are "rubbing salt into the wounds."
- Calling the remarks "shocking" and "unacceptable," prominent commentator Hu Xijin wrote on Weibo that Zhang "has paid the price for her reputation" and should "respond to public opinion, explain where necessary, and apologize where appropriate."
- Delivery drivers are "racing against the platform's algorithm at all costs," Weibo users noted, highlighting the reality of gig work. Zhang did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Chinese professor describes gig work as form of ‘welfare’
The term “flexible employment” has gone viral in China after a prominent economics professor described gig work as a form of “welfare,” drawing widespread public anger and highlighting deep anxieties over job insecurity.Zhang Dandan (張丹丹), a professor of economics and deputy dean at Peking Universit
The Economic Times
China's netizens rage against professor who said gig work was a type of 'welfare'
A prominent economics professor's remarks on gig work as welfare ignited public anger in China. She argued flexibility offers welfare, contrasting it with regular employment benefits. This controversy highlights deep anxieties over job insecurity in China's cooling economy. Flexible workers, without permanent contracts, are projected to reach 320 million this year. Experts warn this trend strains China's welfare and pension systems significantly.
China’s Gig Economy Debate Erupts After Economist Calls Flexible Work A Form Of ‘Welfare’
The term “flexible employment” has gone viral in China after a prominent economics professor described gig work as a form of “welfare”, drawing widespread public anger and highlighting deep anxieties over job insecurity. Zhang Dandan, a professor of economics and deputy dean at Peking University’s National School of Development, made the remarks during a discussion on social protection for gig workers, on the popular financial show “Let’s Talk”…
The term "flexible work", used in China to describe forms of employment without a permanent contract, sparked a wave of anger on social networks after a professor of economics at the University...
China’s netizens rage against professor who said gig work was a type of ’welfare’
Sell U.S. dollar versus these currencies, BCA says HONG KONG, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The term "flexible employment" has gone viral in China after a prominent economics professor described gig work as a form of "welfare", drawing widespread public anger and highlighting deep anxieties over job…
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