In China, some companies offer a strange service. They had the unemployed people “pretend” to have a job. These fake companies are common in large cities where office spaces are rented and converted into so -called workplaces.
Such companies charge about 30 to 50 yuan ( £350 to £600) per day and monthly packages are even cheaper.
In Hangzhou, one owner, Chen Yingjian, even organizes pretending interviews and sets rules such as work 9 to 6, without smoking and no office romance. Many such companies are not legally registered, the South Morning place reported.
Some people use them as cooperating spaces, while others use them to escape from stress hunting. One young woman joined one day to film content for social media and showed her mother to find “the right job”.
Ryan graduated 18 months ago, but couldn’t find the right job. The 25 -year -old man joined the company “pretending” in Jiangs.
For six months he sits in the office eight hours a day. He sends his parents to appear employed. He said Routina gave him stability and reduced stress.
Some consider it “foolish” to pay for work, but companies sometimes provide coffee and lunch for free. Many will join to meet others who face a similar struggle, reported SCMP.
Ryan feels that these companies have gained popularity because the company does not like inactivity. Previously, Jobless Youth passed time in cafes or libraries to imitate work.
The Chinese urban unemployment rate of youth aged 16 to 24 years, except for students, was 15.8%in the first half of 2025, which is much higher than the total level of cities 5.2%. Official data are counted only by those who are actively looking for jobs in the last three months as unemployed.
Pretend to be employed
The Reddit user previously shared how he suddenly lost his job in August without warning or severance pay. Instead of telling family or friends, the user pretended to be still employed.
Every day, Redditor “worked” on his laptop, worked busy with fake calls, and even published projects on LinkedIn. They secretly applied for a job.
One recruiter noticed a false post and reached out. The user lied about their “contemporary role”, led well in interviews and eventually secured a new job. He offered him a better salary, higher designation, remote settings and balance between work and private life.
“It’s been five months old and I still haven’t told most people that I was never unemployed. Honestly? I don’t think I’m ever. I felt guilty for pretending, but now I feel … relieved.
(Tagstotranslate) Warning of employment
