Chinese Youth Trading Stable Jobs for Self-Employment

Chinese youth born after 2000 are driven by a strong desire for independence. They don’t want others to make decisions for them, which often leads to conflicts with their parents. Many prefer to start their own small businesses, not with big ambitions, but often as a form of self-employment. The startup entrepreneurs are actually the minority. Most aspire to self-employment or something similar.

This trend can be hard to understand for those from earlier generations, which were more structured and had more certainty. The entrepreneurial spirit is more about the desire for independence than about making money. Older generations might see this as impulsive—and in many cases, that’s exactly what it is.

The hope of making a living through something related to the internet is very high, but for many, it’s likely a false hope. Every year, we see a wave of young entrepreneurs who jump into business without fully thinking it through, driven by an overly positive belief in success. Many of these young Chinese leave better, more stable jobs to become "entrepreneurs" or self-employed, only to learn tough lessons the hard way.

This impulsive and misguided entrepreneurial trend comes at a high cost—both to the individuals and to the companies they leave behind, and even to the Chinese economy. In the past, it was easier for people to accept reality, even if it meant compromising with authority.

In China, the kind of resignation we now see in the West, where people no longer chase the "dream" as much, hasn’t fully arrived yet—and that comes with its own price. Egos boosted by social media likes can’t be sustained forever, and people make sacrifices for these "dreams" that they wouldn’t make for a regular job or a boss.

The line between hope and disappointment is very thin, and many people need to experience both. This is what’s happening now with China’s post-2000 generation—they will likely go through this cycle, and the few who succeed will only confirm the rule.