China's Millennials Are Hustling For Part-Time Gigs Instead of Traditional Jobs (bloomberg.com) 147
Bloomberg has a report today in which it underscores a growing trend among millennials in China who are looking for part-time jobs. From the article: Hopping from one short-term stint to another isn't the sort of aspiration an earlier generation had in China, where the middle-class dream has long been university degrees followed by a stable job -- preferably one backed by the government. In a 2016 poll of 13,000 college students, 48 percent said they didn't want to enter the traditional labor market. Hardly any of these part-time jobs pay well, but it doesn't matter to millennials. The report adds: "The money is little," Zhang Chen, a 21-year-old accounting student said of the short gig that pays about 240 yuan ($35). "But I want a more interesting life." Chen was lined up for the work through DouMi, a startup that focuses exclusively on part-time positions and blends elements of a temp agency with an internet jobs board and marketing service. For around 130 yuan a day, DouMi users can sort crates of milk at a supermarket or hand out pamphlets on frozen sidewalks. Those considered "beautiful women," and between the ages of 18 and 28, can make four times as much plus tips by working as live-streaming models to keep mostly-male viewers entertained. Many of the roles run for mere days or weeks at a time, a flexibility that suits those juggling social lives and university studies. "Every month we have between 300,000 and 400,000 jobs," said Chief Executive Officer Zhao Shiyong.
Re:Once you take away the need for FT benefits (Score:4, Informative)
Dunno where you work, but around these parts all the part time jobs are scheduled by the week, and half of them will fire you if you can't show up in 30 minutes when they call you in for the lunch rush or inventory night. Oh, you're at your other job? Oh your other job wants you from 11-2PM next week too? Tough shit, but hey, you only lose half your income.
Re: (Score:2)
So the management just gets to offload the responsibility for its own incompetence onto the worker? It's clearly way too hard to anticipate the lunch rush or inventory night more than 30 minutes in advance!
Beware the gig economy... (Score:5, Insightful)
...and demand full time employment.
The gig economy is an extension of the reduce all costs, regardless of longterm impacts mentality that has brought us off-shoring, temp workers and the destruction of the middle class and the safety nets of retirement benefits.
It is one more step down the short road that leads is to eating tasty soylent green while pedaling a stationary bike for electricity and dreaming of actually holding a grapefruit
as long as they just part timers and not 1099's er (Score:4, Interesting)
as long as they just part timers (w2's) and not 1099's.
I don't know how that works in China but in the usa there is a lot of abuse of 1099's as the work places get's out of paying taxes, uniforms (in some states they must be free to workers) others mini wage laws apply. liability, workers comp, tool/car/cell reimbursement.
Re: (Score:3)
Not only is there an incredible amount of abuse, the IRS publishes rules about what is and isn't allowed, however the IRS does absolutely *nothing* about any abuse. They're quite happy to let it continue.
Re: (Score:2)
There's no shortage of W-2 abuse in the US. You need N hours to qualify for benefits? Oh look, N-1 hours on your "full time" schedule AGAIN! Sucks to be you. But remember, we need full time availability & you don't get your schedule until two days before so good luck getting another "full time" job to fill in!
Gig economy isn't that different than the reality many people face working W-2. If anything it's more honest about the fact that there's no safety net and you need to keep working until you're
Re: (Score:2)
I think this short road is leading to either a global French Revolution 2.0 or killbot-powered genocide against the 99%.
Re: (Score:3)
...and demand full time employment.
How does one "demand" full time employment? Can I demand that you provide me with a full time job?
The root problem is that we have pushed more and more social responsibilities and costs onto employers. If I hire someone to drive a truck, why should I suddenly be responsible for his medical care? If most people swap jobs every few years, does it really make sense for employers to be responsible for their retirement savings?
In Maoist China, each factory ran a school for the children of their workers. If y
Re: (Score:2)
If most people swap jobs every few years, does it really make sense for employers to be responsible for their retirement savings?
I have to agree with you that the whole "mandatory retirement contribution" thing is pretty much just an annoyance for all concerned today. I understand the rationale for it (because most people are incapable of long-term planning), but it's a terrible idea for people who are in jobs for a short term and need to deal with all sorts of different retirement accounts spread out in various systems.
When I was younger, I took a few short-term jobs and once worked as a state employee for a couple years. In all
I hate euphemisms.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: I hate euphemisms.... (Score:1)
The problem is that once the "gig" path becomes commonplace, companies will expect it and we will gradually shift to a mostly gig economy. Those of us with real jobs paying actual salaries with real benefits stand to lose because of your shortsightedness.
Re: (Score:2)
What world do you come from? And, more important, how do I get there?
Re: (Score:2)
What world do you come from?
Very few companies use "gig" workers for their core competencies. If an engineer on my team has to stay home with a sick kid, I can't bring in a temp for a few days to replace him. Skilled jobs don't work that way.
And, more important, how do I get there?
Learn a skill that is not an interchangeable commodity. If you want to be valued you need to offer something that is valuable.
Re: (Score:3)
Those of us with real jobs paying actual salaries with real benefits stand to lose because of your shortsightedness.
I've had some IT support contracts (gigs?) that paid better than what the full-time employees made. After I ran into a former coworker at a job interview, I turned down the job offer because my hourly rate was 80% greater than his for doing the same job. Those 2% raises over nine years don't add up to much.
Re: (Score:3)
I go out hourly at 3x my previous full-time salary hourly rate (roughly $300/hr).
That's consulting work. What I do is virtual ditch digging work that no one else wants to do.
I mean, certainly the supermarket needs boxes unpacked full-time, but by breaking it up into "gigs" they can pay someone a small hourly rate to unpack milk for four hours without benefits.
I've done plenty of four-hour jobs as a PC disconnect/reconnect technician for a moving company. The client being moved is obligated to pay a minimum of four hours. It takes an hour to disconnect the PCs, two hours for the movers to move stuff, and another hour to reconnect the PCs. While the movers are moving stuff, the PC techs are waiting around and doing nothing.
labor laws may push it the other way and kill real (Score:2)
labor laws may push it the other way and kill real 1099's as the abused 1099's get to bad that laws over fix the issue. Just changing a lot of the 1099'ser to day to W2 will fix a lot of the issues and save the real 1099's from having to make big changes.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't think this won't happen. The city where I grew up had a very large auto manufacturing plant. At the height it was running 3 shifts a day, 7 days a week. But it was bought out and downsized.
All those sweet union jobs got slashed and suddenly people wer
Re:I hate euphemisms.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Some people do. Hence the article. What is your problem with it?
Let me know how "interesting" a Millennial's life becomes when their gig job doesn't pay medial or dental benefits, and an accident happens.
How exactly is a gig economy going to provide benefits for things like starting a family. How will that family cope when tragedy strikes as no life insurance benefit is offered.
The "gig" economy is a bullshit attempt to glamorize and hide the real issue, which is a population outpacing the availability stable employment that provides necessary benefits. And as the parent pointed it, this bullshit is a slippery slope we don't want.
Instability should never be viewed as a good thing.
Re:I hate euphemisms.... (Score:5, Insightful)
The "gig" economy is a bullshit attempt to glamorize and hide the real issue, which is a population outpacing the availability stable employment that provides necessary benefits.
In some cases, this is being driven by population vs. employment. But in many cases, simple greed is a major contributing factor. It's so much cheaper to operate a business with a bunch of part-time workers. Many businesses would prefer it, if they could get away with it.
Instability should never be viewed as a good thing.
Yeah, unfortunately most folks in the past couple generations never had to see what the "gig" economies of the past were actually like. Back when you'd go to your local town square or down to the docks or whatever, and stand in line waiting for some potential employer to choose you for work FOR THE DAY. And then you'd break your back doing labor for the day, make enough money to feed your kids, and you'd be off again begging for work the next morning. If you hurt your back or got sick or whatever, you and your family were screwed. End of story.
This was what employment was like for LOTS of people for millennia. Skilled workers like craftsmen could sometimes get more stable jobs, because their skills increased the productivity of the business and employers recognized that.
But for laborer jobs or other things you could likely be trained to do in an hour or two? Not so much. And that's what many modern "gig economy" employers are exploiting again -- can you drive a car? Fine: you're a part-time Uber driver. Be sure to show up on time and be pleasant enough to keep the high ratings, or you won't have a job tomorrow.
Lots of people today criticize unions (sometimes rightly) for corruption, etc. But what unions fought so hard for for a century or so was to finally get modern civilization out of that and recognize that even laborers and unskilled workers deserve to be treated with dignity in their jobs, rather than discarded at the end of the day.
But no more -- I'm frankly shocked at how many younger folks seem brainwashed by all the hooplah over the supposed benefits of the "gig economy." People who know anything about history, on the other hand, see this as exactly what it is: an opportunity for businesses to return to a model where they make greater profits and don't have any obligations to their workers beyond today.
Re: (Score:3)
Yeah, unfortunately most folks in the past couple generations never had to see what the "gig" economies of the past were actually like. Back when you'd go to your local town square or down to the docks or whatever, and stand in line waiting for some potential employer to choose you for work FOR THE DAY. And then you'd break your back doing labor for the day, make enough money to feed your kids, and you'd be off again begging for work the next morning. If you hurt your back or got sick or whatever, you and y
Re: (Score:2)
This is easily mitigated these days: don't have a family. Now you only have to worry about making enough money for yourself, and saving enough for yourself on days you don't have any work.
I'm not sure if you're being serious or sarcastic. But if you're serious -- Even assuming you can personally save enough money to avoid begging on the street, you do realize that most people in the world have families whether they like it or not?? E.g., Parents, who might get ill and can't take care of themselves on their own, or even siblings who might end up out of work or whatever. Just because you don't have kids to feed doesn't mean you won't end up with any family obligations to help support. Such
Re: (Score:2)
I'm not talking about specific cases, I'm talking in general: if people, in general, stop having kids, then the stuff mentioned before becomes less of an issue. So that's going to be the general trend for society: not having any kids. Then people won't have to worry much about having siblings to support (more and more people will be only children), and their only worry will be their parents (which may more may not be an issue for some people, depending on their relationship with their parents: i.e., if th
Re: (Score:2)
...see this as exactly what it is: an opportunity for businesses to return to a model where they make greater profits and don't have any obligations to their workers beyond today.
This is backwards thinking. I've been a contractor for years, an employer is not my mother. I get paid to do a job then when it's done I find another job. I think you'll find technology is allowing work to shift back to a needs based model, rather than filling the office floor with dead weight who only turn up for their benefits.
The idea of a permanent job is outdated, the world is moving onwards and upwards and those that adapt quickest will do the best out of it.
Re: (Score:2)
...see this as exactly what it is: an opportunity for businesses to return to a model where they make greater profits and don't have any obligations to their workers beyond today.
This is backwards thinking. I've been a contractor for years, an employer is not my mother. I get paid to do a job then when it's done I find another job. I think you'll find technology is allowing work to shift back to a needs based model, rather than filling the office floor with dead weight who only turn up for their benefits. The idea of a permanent job is outdated, the world is moving onwards and upwards and those that adapt quickest will do the best out of it.
Automation and AI are going to work to ensure the concept of human employment becomes outdated, so the future will have nothing to do with how humans will "adapt". What will need to adapt quickly is Greed, which is working faster than most assume to create that future. Greed will need to create a stable society that can provide to sustain life and prosperity without humans working for it, while continuing to find ways to motivate humans to learn. When there are no jobs to go off and do, it tends to eradi
Re: (Score:2)
When there are no jobs to go off and do, it tends to eradicate the motivation for higher education.
Fortunately we already have real world examples to compare. The many examples of elite societies throughout history who do not need to work but choose to educate and entertain themselves make the claim a little shaky
As someone who doesn't need to work, I prefer this life to the alternative, and I think most others would too.
Re: (Score:2)
The flood of visa and illegal labor into the US isn't helping. Americans used to do the lawnscaping work in the town/state I used to live in, but they were eventually replaced by illegals.
It'd be nice if some politicians were willing to trade a crackdown on visas/illegals in exchange for worker benefits (more stability and so on).
Funny how the same ecconomics seem to be playing out even in those places without "illegals". Perhaps the illegals are not the root cause of the problem?
Re: (Score:2)
Let me know how "interesting" a Millennial's life becomes when their gig job doesn't pay medial or dental benefits, and an accident happens.
Well, it depends.
Remember that this is China. Socialized medicine. So, no, you don't have to worry about medical or dental.
Here? Might be a bit different--you'd better make sure you can work and still afford your ACA benefits. It's a similar thing with life insurance--if you feel it is important, you buy it.
The issue is whether or not your "gigs" can provide enough money so that you can afford to buy those things yourself.
Remembering it's China works both ways... (Score:2)
Like when accounting for "20 million active users" monthly to "between 300000 and 400000 jobs" every month.
Population of China: 1.357 Billion.
Out of which 359.14 million were employed in urban and 405 million [statista.com] in rural China, in 2011.
Meaning that those "monthly gigs" represent 0.039 - 0.052% of jobs in China.
While "20 million active users", would represent 2.61% of workers - if there actually were 20 million gigs too.
Instead of there only being enough "gigs" for about 1.5 - 2% of "workers".
Some of whom are s
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
The "gig" economy is a bullshit attempt to glamorize and hide the real issue, which is a population outpacing the availability stable employment that provides necessary benefits. And as the parent pointed it, this bullshit is a slippery slope we don't want.
Society needs to start coping with the reality you describe instead of pretending we can continue to force employers to pay people more than the economic value they can provide. I for one welcome the gig economy, along with a universal basic income, so we can allow employment opportunities to exist whenever there is a willing employer and employee.
Re: (Score:2)
How exactly is a gig economy going to provide benefits for things like starting a family. How will that family cope when tragedy strikes as no life insurance benefit is offered.
They don't need to start a family. Families are for people who can afford them. Millennials aren't starting families, so they don't need jobs that provide the luxury of having enough money for one.
We need to just leave having families to the ultra-rich.
which is a population outpacing the availability stable employment that provides
Re: (Score:2)
How exactly is a gig economy going to provide benefits for things like starting a family. How will that family cope when tragedy strikes as no life insurance benefit is offered.
They don't need to start a family. Families are for people who can afford them. Millennials aren't starting families, so they don't need jobs that provide the luxury of having enough money for one. We need to just leave having families to the ultra-rich.
Well, that's certainly a rather fucked argument. With the "hook-up" generation, there certainly is no shortage of sex happening, so unplanned families are going to happen regardless of want or need. Not to mention the Millennials who happen to actually want a family.
Establishing a retirement plan to fund life after employment or carrying insurance to help pay for the inevitable should never be viewed as a "luxury".
Instability should never be viewed as a good thing.
It's the best we can do these days. We just need to accept it and get used to it.
If that is the attitude of tomorrow, then we shouldn't be surprised when slavery becomes l
Re: (Score:2)
With the "hook-up" generation, there certainly is no shortage of sex happening, so unplanned families are going to happen regardless of want or need.
That's factually untrue. Maybe you're unaware, but birth control has been around for at least a half-century now, and abortion is cheap and easily available now (meaning chemical abortions), not to mention "day after pills". Obviously, access might be a problem for poor people, but in general, unplanned families should not be a big problem any more, especial
Re: (Score:2)
"day after" pills have a 50% chance of failure
Re: (Score:2)
Let me know how "interesting" a Millennial's life becomes when their gig job doesn't pay medial or dental benefits, and an accident happens.
In many countries in the world, having a medical issue is not a thing tied to your job. Or your income / ability to pay. If this is your main concern than you have bigger problems in your country than the choice of profession.
Re: (Score:2)
How exactly is a gig economy going to provide benefits for things like starting a family.
It's not. It won't provide the benefits, and more to the point, it won't provide the economic security that's need to raise a kid and not risk getting thrown out on the street.
Unsurprisingly, fertility rates have fallen significantly below replacement in both the US and China.
Re: (Score:2)
The "gig" economy is a bullshit attempt to glamorize and hide the real issue, which is a population outpacing the availability stable employment that provides necessary benefits.
That's one way to look at it.
Another way is that automation will make lots of things cheaper and more widely available, so people won't need to work 40hours a week just to eat and put a roof over their head. The 'gig economy' could just a small bump during the transition to what could be the next great epoch in human development.
Re: (Score:2)
The "gig" economy is a bullshit attempt to glamorize and hide the real issue, which is a population outpacing the availability stable employment that provides necessary benefits.
That's one way to look at it. Another way is that automation will make lots of things cheaper and more widely available, so people won't need to work 40hours a week just to eat and put a roof over their head. The 'gig economy' could just a small bump during the transition to what could be the next great epoch in human development.
Unless human development is going to somehow change the pure unadulterated Greed that the 1% demands, the only thing the masses will transition to is Welfare 2.0 on a global scale.
Costs will not decrease relative to a 20-hour workweek because of Greed, so don't think for a second you'll be afforded a living wage any better than the "gig" economy is providing.
Re: (Score:2)
Unless human development is going to somehow change the pure unadulterated Greed that the 1% demands, the only thing the masses will transition to is Welfare 2.0 on a global scale.
You don't seem to be grasping the concept. The 1%, the greed, and most of the economics are based around a resource scarce model that has existed since time began. All the things you want, food, clothes, a house, toys, all require effort and time to acquire, hence a supply demand force creates greed. In a fully automated society, with free production of everything you need to live, there is no mechanism for greed to wield any power.
Costs will not decrease relative to a 20-hour workweek because of Greed, so don't think for a second you'll be afforded a living wage any better than the "gig" economy is providing.
Why would I need a wage in a fully automated society? If machines grow food,
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Oh look. Another person who thinks they should run other peoples lives. How original. These people seem to like it at this point in their lives. Who are you to tell them any different?
Given the impacts I've pointed out, I won't have to say a damn word to those who seem to "like" this.
Life will eventually slap them in the fucking face, as wisdom and experience have taught many.
Re: (Score:2)
Given the impacts I've pointed out, I won't have to say a damn word to those who seem to "like" this.
Life will eventually slap them in the fucking face, as wisdom and experience have taught many.
I know plenty of people with wisdom and experience who make a very good living as independent contractors. They have plenty of opportunities to find full time positions but vastly prefer their current arrangement.
The problems you mention seem to only be the case when current workers are being paid more than the economic value they provide.
Re: (Score:3)
Given the impacts I've pointed out, I won't have to say a damn word to those who seem to "like" this.
Life will eventually slap them in the fucking face, as wisdom and experience have taught many.
I know plenty of people with wisdom and experience who make a very good living as independent contractors. They have plenty of opportunities to find full time positions but vastly prefer their current arrangement.
The problems you mention seem to only be the case when current workers are being paid more than the economic value they provide.
A life-changing car accident. A cancer diagnosis. A pregnancy. The problems I describe are often in the realm of accidents, which no human can accurately predict when that may happen to them or how often, and have jack shit to do with workers being overvalued. This is also why so many of us value those critical insurance benefits, along with the stability of full-time employment; to not only prepare for when life happens, but also create a career that will hopefully fund the concept of retirement.
Corpo
Re: (Score:1)
A life-changing car accident. A cancer diagnosis. A pregnancy. The problems I describe are often in the realm of accidents, which no human can accurately predict when that may happen to them or how often, and have jack shit to do with workers being overvalued. This is also why so many of us value those critical insurance benefits, along with the stability of full-time employment; to not only prepare for when life happens, but also create a career that will hopefully fund the concept of retirement.
You can get insurance policies which aren't paid for by your employer. If you are self employed they are also tax deductible, just like they would be for a traditional employer. There are certainly gaps in our current insurance industry, especially for self-employed disability insurance, but a growing independent contractor / gig economy is likely to create a larger market for this kind of product.
Re: (Score:2)
> gig work is a very good living to anyone worth "economic value"
No. There are plenty of "worthy" gig workers that aren't making a "very good living".
Even for the laughable "worthy" metric in your head.
Who are you even quoting. I never used the word "worthy" in my post.
But you seem to be mixing together someone's inherent worth as a human being with their economic value to society. They are often very different, which is why a universal basic income is such an attractive way to close the gap.
Re:I hate euphemisms.... (Score:5, Funny)
What's a part-time gig anyway? It's only 1000MB some of the time?
Re: (Score:3)
What's a part-time gig anyway? It's only 1000MB some of the time?
Yes, they were known a Quantum Fireballs.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:I hate euphemisms.... (Score:4, Informative)
Seen this before... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Been there, done that. I'm old now. :(
Re: (Score:2)
And now they all have government jobs sucking off the teat of the taxpayer?
Are you referring to the fact that I went back to community college to learn computer programming on a $3,000 tax credit that George W. signed into law after 9/11 to assist people in changing their careers and pay more taxes from earning more money in a new job?
Or the fact that I got a government IT job that required 20+ years of technical experience to secure the network from users... uh... hackers?
Or are you in fact being a dick because I have a successful career?
Re: (Score:3)
Yep. Exactly. Gotta love government IT workers!
I love my government IT job. After years of working for Fortune 500 IT teams, I'm finally working with the best pros in the industry. ;)
Re: (Score:2)
Yep. Exactly. Gotta love government IT workers!
I love my government IT job. After years of working for Fortune 500 IT teams, I'm finally working with the best pros in the industry. ;)
Second best.
I spent 15 years as a consultant, working with both fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Government agencies tend to have one of two personalities; either they're quite good or they're horribly bad. Sounds like you got into a good one. Corporate IT departments of non-IT companies tend to be more middle of the road, though variance is huge. But the top tier information technology companies tend to have almost uniformly excellent people.
Re: (Score:1)
babysitting the president would be a nice gig. enjoy the amex black centurion card that goes with that.
That responsibility belongs the 4,000+ political appointees that Trump has yet to make to fill out his administration.
Lifestyles of the Poor but Interesting (Score:2)
"The money is little...but I want a more interesting life."
While the part-time choice while attending college may be the rather obvious choice due to school demand, I'm wondering about those who are choosing not to seek out stable full-time employment post-graduation. Things like getting married, starting a family, or even moving out from underneath Mom and Dads roof; all of these life events will likely cost more than the average "interesting" salary.
This story seems to glamorize Lifestyles of the Poor but Interesting, but perhaps the glamor is hiding the true pr
Re: (Score:2)
Or maybe, like some people europe and japan, people are becoming less interested in starting a family.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Or maybe, like some people europe and japan, people are becoming less interested in starting a family.
Which also means they are dooming themselves to a life of nonstop, low paying work. Without families or children, what are all these gig millenials going to do when they get to be 60-70 years old? They won't have anything in savings, no kids to support/take care of them, and the government will be so overburdened it won't be able to do anything either. There's too much focus on the here and now these days, not many in the current generation think about what will happen long term.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree with most of your post except for one thing. In our current culture, at least where I live (Israel), having kids doesn't guarantee that they will support/take-care of you.
Re: (Score:2)
Here too, but NOT having kids guarantees that they won't be there for you.
Re: (Score:2)
Some would say that NOT having kids guarantees that you can at least enjoy your younger years, making killing yourself after having lived a full life or saving money for old age more viable.
Re: (Score:2)
Without families or children, what are all these gig millenials going to do when they get to be 60-70 years old?
What are most adults going to do when they get into their 80-100 years old? Most people are going to outlive their retirement funds by 30 to 40 years longer than their parents or grandparents.
When my father retired at 59-1/2, he expected a short retirement since all his older brothers kicked the bucket at 60. He lived until he was 75. Fortunately, he had a pension and Social Security benefits. I'm planning to retire at 77 and live until I'm 120. If I die sooner than, my heirs will have an inheritance.
Nail on the head (Score:3)
"moving out from underneath Mom and Dads roof;"
Its very easy to talk about money not mattering and wanting an interesting life when you don't have to worry about rent or bills. Part of being an adult is accepting responsibility for your own fate and - unless you want to live in a hut in the woods or a park bench - than means finding the money to pay the above.
The "gig" economy is just (usually rich) hipster talk for dead end park time McJobs thats been repackaged and remarketed for the latest gullible gener
Re: (Score:2)
"moving out from underneath Mom and Dads roof;"
Its very easy to talk about money not mattering and wanting an interesting life when you don't have to worry about rent or bills. Part of being an adult is accepting responsibility for your own fate and - unless you want to live in a hut in the woods or a park bench - than means finding the money to pay the above.
The "gig" economy is just (usually rich) hipster talk for dead end park time McJobs thats been repackaged and remarketed for the latest gullible generation of 20 somethings who haven't yet wised up.
Perhaps the gullible ones here are the parental enablers of hipsters ascribing for nothing more than an "interesting" life at the cost of their providers.
Re: (Score:2)
Its very easy to talk about money not mattering and wanting an interesting life when you don't have to worry about rent or bills. Part of being an adult is accepting responsibility for your own fate and - unless you want to live in a hut in the woods or a park bench - than means finding the money to pay the above. The "gig" economy is just (usually rich) hipster talk for dead end park time McJobs thats been repackaged and remarketed for the latest gullible generation of 20 somethings who haven't yet wised up.
I think it comes in both flavors, those who use the gig economy to pick work and those who get used by the gig economy. Probably a lot more of the latter but I've met a few people who were avid surfers, kiters, snowboarders, golfers and such who want to be able to look out the window and say nope, not going to work today. Maybe we don't notice it much doing development where they care more about the results than when you do it but in a lot of other places like retail, manufacturing, education, healthcare et
Re: (Score:2)
Once upon a time in America, multi-generations — grandparents, mom and dad, kids and baby daddy — living under one roof was considered the norm.
Re: (Score:2)
At literally no point in US history was this the norm.
You're wrong. Multigenerational homes were quite common until the 1950's.
In the old days, the old-age assistance problem was not so great so long as most people lived on farms, had big families, and at least some of the children stayed on the farm. It was customary when the old people got too old to do their share of the work they would stay on the farm and the sons or daughters would keep them there in the home. That pattern changed slowly but continuously from the early part of the century as more and more of the young, rural population left the farms. The three generation household (aged parents, children, and grandchildren), perfectly common 50 years ago, had begun to become very rare indeed. By the time people got old, the children had already left and gone to the city. There was no one to take care of them. Hence, an increase in the problem of the needy aged.
http://users.hist.umn.edu/~ruggles/multigenerational.pdf [umn.edu]
Re: (Score:2)
What actually happened is that in the old days you had 6 kids and maybe 1 would stay with the parents because they had no options available to them (homely looking woman, semi-autistic, homosexual, etc...) but the other 5 did not.
My maternal grandmother had ten kids. The first one she 16 and the last one when she was 50. Whenever someone turned 18, they got booted out of the house. No more than five people ever lived at the house at any time. She died at 83 with the youngest daughter, her husband and their children living with her. According to her obituary, she had 81 kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and great-great-grandkids. And that's not even the Mormon side of the family!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Things like getting married, starting a family, or even moving out from underneath Mom and Dads roof; all of these life events will likely cost more than the average "interesting" salary.
Many Chinese men will never have the opportunity [pri.org] without plural marriage. There's 27 million more men than women in China right now. By 2020, it's expected to be 35 million more men than women. As the linked article points out, that's the entire population of Canada. A country worth of young men will not be able to marry and start a family. It's 15% of their age cohort. Fifteen percent! That's insane. And they're already an economic force to be reckoned with. Singles Day sales in China dwarfs Black
Re: (Score:3)
As opposed to the traditional job market where you may work between 1 and 10 different jobs throughout your entire working life (and getting bored in the process)? By comparison, E-giggers can work dozens or up to a hundred different jobs.
...that are boring right from the beginning.
Re: (Score:2)
I disagree. Personally, I wouldn't mind stocking shelves for pay, for a single day. I'd get bored of it pretty quick, of course, but for a single day it'd be fine. By contrast, my regular programming work doesn't get boring that fast, but after a few years, I really get tired of working in the same place and start itching to move. Simple jobs like shelf-stocking are not really different, it just takes a lot less time to get bored with it. If I had a different such job every day, maybe it wouldn't be so
Re: (Score:2)
...that are boring right from the beginning.
Some of my best paying IT support contract work was boring at heck. But someone had to do the job.
Giggin' (Score:1)
eHo
"Entertainment" = Chaturbate (Score:1)
Seriously. "Cam models" are literately just Chaturbate and similar sites. If you want to know how much a female model makes, someone who is young and cute can make about $50 an hour. These are mostly Russian models however, not Chinese (due to laws about porn and inability to stream through the china firewall.) The catch to these streaming sites is that the site itself takes a >50% cut, and if you get booted from the site, there is no alternative to take you. There are of course alternate sites, but your
When will people learn (Score:1)
Compromise your long term goals and integrity for short term results. Musicians have been selling out for years just to play a "gig", what does it get them? Nothing. The vast majority are broke and their industry commoditized because they are willing to work for peanuts or even nothing. Please people, put a value on your time and skills and stop allowing yourself to be exploited as "cheap labor".
how communist is china? (Score:1)
Are these people also benefiting from government handouts, or is that still a thing in China (was it ever)? Is there (was there ever) any kind of medical safety net? This makes a lot more sense if this is the equivalent of a teenager getting a side job while still living in their parents' house - if they already have some of their basic needs met, then this is really for luxuries anyways - lots of people are willing to trading working hard for a higher standard of living, but there's likely to be many other
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, except wasn't it trivially easy to get a job if you didn't have one? That's what's different in the US; it's not always easy to find a job if you don't have one.
Won't work in America (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Back in the day...
Actually I wasn't making an old-timer joke. Maybe 15 years ago it was a red flag to see a series of 18 month jobs on a resume since the expectation was that you would be in a job for at least 5 years in order for us to recoup our investment. Those skips looked like someone stayed ju
School-Aged Students Hold Part Time Jobs (Score:2)
No ambition? (Score:2)
No one understands the forces at work (Score:1)
I can think of at least 2 major forces at work, and not just in China:
1. Birthrates are down
2. Automation is changing the nature of work.
These aren't new, particularly increasing automation isn't new, but that doesn't mean their impact on the future is well understood or predictable.
Millenials may be conscious of the uncertainty of work and reluctant to invest in learning skills and spending time in a job that disappears in 10 years. I suspect also that they haven't suffered the hardships of their parent
Your wish is granted (Score:2)
"But I want a more interesting life."
May you live in interesting times. -Chinese proverb
Re: (Score:2)
Oh bullshit. The rest of society (meaning, the older generations) is what set things up so badly in the first place. The Millennials are simply playing the hand they've been dealt, which is a shitty one.
When Western society goes down the tubes, it's the older generations (especially the Boomers) who will be to blame. Personally I'm hoping it happens sooner rather than later so that the Boomers will be alive to see and experience what they've brought about.
Re: (Score:2)
The Millennials aren't having kids.