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Young people have to compete to keep their jobs even after they've been hired. (Illustration: Aly Song/Reuters) |
In 2025, Xu Shan, a final-year product design student at a university in Anhui Province (China), participated in the fall recruitment drive for graduating students. After submitting her application and going through three rounds of interviews, Shan received an offer to work as an industrial designer at Marssenger, a kitchen appliance manufacturer based in Jiaxing (Zhejiang Province, China), according to Caixin Global .
The offered salary was 8,000 RMB/month (approximately $1,194 USD ), including accommodation and meals. According to Shan, this was quite good compensation compared to many entry-level positions in the same industry. However, the company only gave him three days to decide. If he didn't sign, the position could be given to another candidate. Conversely, if he signed but changed his mind, Shan would have to pay 5,000 RMB in compensation.
Fearing he would miss the opportunity, he agreed and signed a tripartite employment agreement for graduates, with a start date of July 7th.
But in mid-June, just about two weeks before her scheduled start date, Shan was unexpectedly informed that the company had canceled the offer. The company agreed to pay compensation as per the agreement, and the Gen Z employee lost her first job before even starting work.
Hire too many people, then fire them.
Before receiving the notification, Shan had been somewhat worried as she monitored the business performance of Merchantger.
As of September 16th, the company's stock had fallen by more than 13% year-to-date. In a report released on August 28th, Marssenger stated that revenue in the first half of 2026 decreased by nearly 27.6% year-on-year to 271 million yuan. The company recorded a net loss attributable to shareholders of 130 million yuan. The company explained that the industry is undergoing a deep correction, impacted by the continued weakening of the Chinese real estate market and the slow recovery of consumer confidence.
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Despite passing multiple rounds of interviews and receiving job offers, some Chinese students still lose their jobs right before their start date or during their probationary period. (Illustration: Go Nakamura/Reuters) |
Not only were people like Shan eliminated before they even got a job, but some recent graduates were also dismissed during their probationary period.
Zhang Lu, a 2024 graduate, was recruited by a pharmaceutical company in Tianjin, China, through a recruitment program at his university. A few days before the end of his probationary period, the company conducted a mass evaluation of new employees.
According to Zhang, around 20-30 recent graduates were waiting for their evaluation results and were successively informed that they had failed the probationary period. They received no transcripts or specific reasons, but were instead asked to quickly sign a contract termination agreement. Afterward, the company continued to recruit students from universities for the following year.
Recent graduates are often a vulnerable group when businesses scale back projects and budgets. The abundant labor supply also leads some companies to hire many people and then screen them during their probationary period.
Huang Yi, a lawyer at Shanghai Win Zone Law Firm, said that some businesses may recruit large numbers of recent graduates, put them in a competitive environment, and then find various reasons to dismiss them right before the end of their probationary period.
This situation is more common in the manufacturing industry, where staffing needs fluctuate. Many businesses are also hesitant to retain too many employees long-term due to the high costs, especially when profit margins are low.
Young people are insecure.
After her job offer was canceled, Shan went to Shanghai, China, to work part-time to cover her expenses while continuing to apply for jobs.
He found it harder to find a job at large companies than before, so he switched to applying to startups. He then joined a robotics company in Suzhou, China, with a higher salary and accommodation. However, Shan said he hadn't thought he would choose such a company because the work processes and management were still underdeveloped.
"I used to hope that a big company would be a good starting point and a springboard for my career. That plan is no longer there," he said.
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Some young Chinese workers continue to search for jobs even while employed because they have experienced unexpected layoffs. (Illustration: Thomas Peter/Reuters) |
Technology is also narrowing job opportunities for recent graduates. AI is taking over many jobs previously reserved for entry-level personnel, leading to a decrease in some entry-level positions. Shan says many of her colleagues in product design have had to switch to other, more easily accessible jobs.
Bai Yufei, a lawyer at the Shanghai office of Beijing Hengdu Law Firm, said one of the common reasons cited by businesses is that employees "do not meet recruitment requirements."
According to China's Labor Contract Law, businesses can terminate employment without paying severance pay if they can prove that the employee did not meet the recruitment conditions. However, these criteria must be clearly communicated in advance, and the business must specify exactly which points the employee failed to meet.
For example, if a company hires three people but only wants to keep one, they can't simply fire the other two; they have to prove that those employees didn't meet the requirements. Such situations also cause many young people to worry about their jobs, even after being hired.
On August 26th, Shan received his first monthly salary at his new company, one day later than scheduled. Even a one-day delay made him anxious about the company's stability. "I'm still sending out my resume. I want to find a more stable place," Shan said.
Source: https://lifestyle.zingnews.vn/nguoi-tre-trung-quoc-mat-viec-khi-chua-kip-di-lam-post1687144.html
