Chinese Internet thinks that once you reach 35, your life is done.

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Employers in China prefer to hire workers who are under 35 years old.
The phrase "curse of 35" is now a viral phenomenon on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media site.
One person complained about the "curse" and wrote: "You're not old enough to retire by 60, but you are too young to start working at 35."

Many people around the globe fear gray hairs and crows' feet that accompany a midlife crises. In China, however, millennials are afraid of reaching a career-ending age: 35.

The phrase "Curse of 35" sums up these fears. It's a concept, and has become a hashtag on China's Twitter like Weibo. This refers to the preference of Chinese employers for hiring employees who are under 35 years old.

I am afraid that I won't keep my job and I'll have to look for another job while dealing the temper of the employer. One person posted on Weibo that the "Curse of 35" was too stressful and scary.

"Life can be tough too. I'm single and don't have the money to buy a home. What will I do when I am old? Landlords do not rent to elderly people. It's hard to make money as you age," continued the post. In this life, there is nowhere to go.

Weibo is full of similar comments. Many people agree that reaching 35 will be a huge setback to their career prospects.

Weibo, China's Twitter equivalent, said "We are in a vicious circle." "You are too old to retire at age 60, but you're still too young to start working at 35."

It doesn't help that the Chinese government isn’t afraid to perpetuate ageism when it comes to getting younger people to apply for civil service jobs. The Chinese government offers most entry-level jobs to people between the ages of 18 and 35. Beijing has made moves to increase the age limit for hiring to 40 years old, but only for those with doctorates or master's degrees.

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Insider reported that Tianlei Hua, a research fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics and spokesman for Insider, said: "Since state employers are discriminating in hiring, private companies may feel they don't have to worry about doing the same."

It's not only about finding a job. Chinese workers who are phased out in what was once viewed as their prime career could have their livelihoods seriously affected.

Tania Lennon is an executive director of the International Institute for Management Development. She told Insider, "the 35-year mark is important because that's when you reach the height of your earning potential." Lennon says that this trend can create "significant" problems in Chinese society, if people do not earn enough money to build their financial reserves.

Some people have already expressed their concerns about being forced out of the workplace.

I just turned 34 years old and lost my job 3 months ago. Will I be able survive this year? read a Weibo post.

The "Curse of 35", a Chinese work culture that is grueling, has a direct offshoot.

It is partly due to the workplace culture which requires workers to work long hours. Chinese workers are required to work from 9 am to 9 pm six days a weeks in order to advance.

Employers prefer those who are healthy, young and willing to work long hours.

Huang, from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that younger workers have better health than older workers, and tend to be less burdened by family obligations. This allows them to work more hours.

Quy Huy is an INSEAD Professor and Academic Director of the China Initiative at the institute. He told Insider how companies in China operate under the mistaken assumption that people over 35 are "less flexible in their work". He added that these companies assume incorrectly that workers over 35 are "less tech-savvy" and "slower to learn new ways of doing things."

Employers can hire younger workers for less money because of the influx of youths who are unemployed.

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It's not just about hiring workers. The record high youth unemployment rate is also a target for companies. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, at least one out of five Chinese youths were unemployed in 2023's second quarter.

At this time, the youth unemployment rate is high. Therefore, many young workers will work for less. "Companies are responding to this," Kelvin Seh, an economics lecturer from the National University of Singapore told Insider.

Why hire an older worker if you can find someone younger for a fraction the price? Seah went on.

The "curse of 35" may be reversible, but millennials are already suffering.

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China faces a demographic problem. China's population shrank for the first since the 1960s due to falling birth rates. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's total population dropped by 850,000 last year.

A rapidly aging population means that employers won't be able to depend on a constant pool of young workers for very long. This could prove to be a blessing for those who want to avoid the "curse of 35."

Huang, from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that employers have been able so far to discriminate and replace older workers by younger workers due to a large supply of graduates who are looking for work.

In ten years they won't be able to afford that luxury. Huang said that the Chinese population and age groups under 35 are decreasing.

Seah, a professor at the National University of Singapore, believes that free-market forces could be used to solve the problem.

Seah told Insider the increased competition to attract younger workers would "ultimately drive up youth wages and make them more expensive to hire." He said that this would make older workers less attractive and more affordable to employers.

Even if "The Curse of 35" resolves itself in a few decades by necessity, it is still affecting China and its youth right now.

The "Curse of 35", which comes after millennials have had to deal with a difficult economy and earn too little to save, is a further insult. No wonder so many people have given up the hustle and are joining a movement of "lying flat" or "letting life rot."

A Weibo posting about the "curse", perhaps, sums it best.

"All we've created is a bunch aimless people." It's not because 35-year olds are lazy. One person wrote, "It's because the society rejects them."

Original article available on Business Insider

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By: ktan@insider.com (Kwan Wei Kevin Tan)
Title: Forget 60, the Chinese internet thinks your life is over once you hit 35.
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/forget-60-china-life-over-35-2023-7
Published Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2023 00:46:40 +0000