Many are experiencing significant barriers to upward mobility, leaving them disillusioned about the future.
**China's Economic Dream Dwindles as Aspirations Fade Among Youth**
**China's Economic Dream Dwindles as Aspirations Fade Among Youth**
The ideal of prosperity through education and hard work is becoming increasingly unattainable for young Chinese.
Since the 1980s, over 800 million individuals in China have lifted themselves out of poverty, giving rise to a burgeoning middle class of about 400 million. Major urban migrations saw villagers moving to cities and a surge in college attendance. However, as economic growth slows, the reality for many of China’s working-class youth is that their aspirations for a better life are slipping further out of reach.
Take Boris Gao, for instance. His family's financial struggles began when his parents were laid off from their jobs in state-owned factories, leading to a precarious life in which his father became a taxi driver and his mother could not seek work. Financial constraints forced them to sacrifice essential services such as communication about school, impacting his education.
Despite these adversities, Mr. Gao excelled academically, graduating from college in 2016 and committing to a graduate program in Hong Kong. Yet, his job search has been riddled with challenges since 2024. He faced offers that demanded unpaid labor during trial periods and even left a job that didn’t compensate him for two months.
Furthermore, Mr. Gao encountered direct discrimination in the job market. After a potential employer learned that he was educated outside of mainland China, he was deemed politically suspect. Job interviews revealed a harsh reality, where he was informed that his family's background rendered him as someone with a "low social status,” leading to yet another rejection.
“That struggle signifies a lack of worth,” Mr. Gao reflects, highlighting the cruel paradox in a society that once promised prosperity for all through dedication and effort.
As the Chinese Dream fades for young individuals like him, their resilience is met with skepticism, leaving a generation questioning the validity of hard work within an inequitable system.
Take Boris Gao, for instance. His family's financial struggles began when his parents were laid off from their jobs in state-owned factories, leading to a precarious life in which his father became a taxi driver and his mother could not seek work. Financial constraints forced them to sacrifice essential services such as communication about school, impacting his education.
Despite these adversities, Mr. Gao excelled academically, graduating from college in 2016 and committing to a graduate program in Hong Kong. Yet, his job search has been riddled with challenges since 2024. He faced offers that demanded unpaid labor during trial periods and even left a job that didn’t compensate him for two months.
Furthermore, Mr. Gao encountered direct discrimination in the job market. After a potential employer learned that he was educated outside of mainland China, he was deemed politically suspect. Job interviews revealed a harsh reality, where he was informed that his family's background rendered him as someone with a "low social status,” leading to yet another rejection.
“That struggle signifies a lack of worth,” Mr. Gao reflects, highlighting the cruel paradox in a society that once promised prosperity for all through dedication and effort.
As the Chinese Dream fades for young individuals like him, their resilience is met with skepticism, leaving a generation questioning the validity of hard work within an inequitable system.
