Facing job scarcity in China, some find work as ‘full-time children’

Young people struggling to find jobs in China are being employed by their parents in exchange for being at their beck and call.

HONG KONG — Six months ago, Jia Zhang was still running her own small business in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. But it was hit hard by the pandemic, generating meager profits compared with her efforts.

“After thorough consideration, I’m out,” said Zhang, a mother of two who was struggling to balance work with caring for her parents and children.

Now she has a new job: working for her parents full time, just being their daughter. In exchange, they pay her 8,000 yuan ($1,115) a month, which is about the average salary in China.

“My job is to spend time with my parents — for example, taking them to grocery stores — and do some household chores,” Zhang said. “Also, if my parents want to go out, I would make plans in advance, taking them to various stores.”

In recent months, the hashtags #FullTimeDaughter and #FullTimeSon have been trending on Chinese social media platforms, attracting millions of views. They refer to adult children who, due to unemployment, are hired by their parents mainly to do housework and be on hand whenever needed.