A recent report suggests that China’s “lying flat” trend, rejecting competitive careers, can be traced back to the country’s one-child policy. The policy, reducing high-consumption households, weakened household bargaining power significantly. This shift saw a decline in household disposable income in GDP from two-thirds to about 44 percent.
The reduction in household income had broader effects, impacting domestic consumption and job creation in China. It also resulted in increased industrial subsidies, leading to what the report termed a “pathological manufacturing boom.” China’s global economic presence has grown, with 17 percent of global GDP and 28 percent of global manufacturing value-added, but only 12 percent of global household consumption.
Moreover, the report highlighted the consequences of a weakened social safety net, forcing workers to work longer hours to sustain themselves. Intense job competition in China has pushed the average workweek to around 49 hours, significantly higher than in other countries like the United States, Germany, Japan, and Vietnam. This pressure on workers has also impacted their personal lives, hindering relationships, marriage, and family planning.
The report also pointed out a disparity between the increasing number of graduates and the limited capacity of the services sector to absorb them. While the number of annual graduates surged from 1.01 million in 2000 to 12.22 million in 2025, the services sector, a primary employer for graduates, only accounts for about 47 percent of available jobs, falling short of levels in advanced economies.
Additionally, the report shed light on the struggles faced by many young Chinese individuals who lack stable employment opportunities or family support. These individuals are compelled to enter the gig economy as food delivery personnel, ride-hailing drivers, couriers, or live-streamers, unable to enjoy the luxury of “lying flat” and opting out of the competitive job market.
