Shenzhen’s rising unemployment a growing national concern

After being laid off by a consulting company at the end of 2023, 35-year-old finance manager Zheng Min (pseudonym) has since been unemployed. Zheng, who is from Zhangzhou, Fujian, told Lianhe Zaobao that in the past half year, she has applied for more than 100 jobs in Xiamen. Either she was unsuccessful or the terms offered by the company did not meet her expectations.

“I have been in finance for over a decade, and my salary was on average 25,000 RMB (US$3,500) per month. But for similar managerial roles, many companies are now only willing to offer 8,000 to 12,000 RMB, with longer work hours and less benefits,” she shared.

Feeling helpless from her unsuccessful job hunt, Zheng returned to Shenzhen in May in the hopes of finding a suitable job in the first-tier city.According to data from the Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the number of newly registered unemployed rose by 40.1% year-on-year in Q1 2024, 15% more than the previous quarter.

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