New flexible employment logs rapid expansion in China: report

BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- New flexible employment has seen strong expansion in China in recent years amid the development of the digital and platform economy, according to a report.

The number of employees in new flexible employment accounted for 19.1 percent of all employees in the first quarter of 2023, up from 13.8 percent in the same period of 2020, said the report jointly released by Jinan University and online recruitment platform Zhaopin.

In the first quarter of 2023, 23.2 percent of all jobseekers desired to have new flexible employment. The figure went up from 18.6 percent in the first quarter of 2020, said the report.

New flexible employment posts are categorized in eight fields, including platform e-commerce, delivery, life service, knowledge service, platform livestreaming and ride-sharing drivers, said Guo Sheng, president of Zhaopin.

Such job opportunities are mainly found in sectors such as transport, logistics, warehousing, culture, media, entertainment and sports. Women, young people and those lacking work experience prefer new flexible employment positions, said the report.

It also revealed that new flexible jobs offer better payment compared with traditional employment, but the welfare level is lower.