Employment is the foundation of people's livelihood", this sentence is actually a bit cliché. However, with the impact of factors such as economic restructuring, technological change, and the impact of the epidemic, China's employment market is facing unprecedented pressure and challenges.
China News Service quoted data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on November 15
In October, the surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas across the country was the same as that of the previous month, down 05 percentage points. From January to October, the average surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas across the country was 53%, 03 percentage points. In October, the surveyed urban unemployment rate of migrant agricultural household registration labor force was 46%, down 0 from the previous month1 percentage point, down 0 from the same period last year9 percentage points.And according to the International Labour Organization**, the global unemployment rate in 2024 will increase from 51% rises to 52%, rising inequality and sluggish productivity growth are cause for concern.
Under such circumstances, will a new wave of layoffs come? Which industries are likely to be the hardest hit by unemployment? Will your work be affected?
According to the latest Workforce Management Survey, we are in an era of dramatic changes in China's economic and social structure.
It is expected that by 2025, there will be about 1500 million people will face employment challenges and will need to rethink their careers. This ** not only reveals the changing trend of the market and industry, but also reflects a broader social phenomenon.
In particular, manufacturing, construction, retail and restaurants, which were once the pillars of China's economic growth, are now the hardest hit by the transformation.
The common characteristics of these industries – labour-intensive, low-skill requirements, low value-added and low-income levels – are becoming less competitive in the new market environment.
For example, with the advancement of automation and intelligent technology, many manufacturing jobs that originally relied on human labor are being replaced by robots.
In addition, the phenomenon of population ageing has a profound impact on the labor market. With the shrinking working-age population, labor costs are rising, posing a significant challenge to a low-margin and competitive industry.
In the construction industry, as the average age of workers increases, businesses must increase spending to maintain productivity and safety standards.
Globally, changes in market demand have also greatly impacted these industries. The brick-and-mortar retail industry has taken a huge hit as consumers have become more preferred** shopping.
According to the data of enterprise checking, from January to October this year, the cumulative number of new registrations of restaurants in the country was 35010,000 units, and the cumulative sales volume is also 10560,000 people, batch by batch, batch by batch down, many small restaurants had to close their doors permanently, and behind this the sad heart of countless people engaged in related industries.
The F&B, wholesale and retail industries are facing unprecedented challenges, and of course, these issues are not without their turnaround. Some manufacturing companies have successfully transitioned to high-tech production lines by introducing automation technology and upskilling their employees.
In addition, the construction industry has not only improved efficiency by adopting green building and smart building technologies, but also provided new skills training opportunities for employees.
Society needs to respond to these changes in a timely manner, and businesses and educational institutions need to work together to provide support and resources for workforce transformation. Vocational training programs can help low-skilled workers learn new skills and adapt to the needs of emerging industries.
Policymakers also need to consider how to support companies that are undergoing industrial upgrading and technological transformation through tax incentives, subsidies and other measures.
In the current wave of economic and technological change, not only the manufacturing, construction, retail and catering industries are facing challenges, but also the financial industry, education and training, media and entertainment and other industries are also at the cusp of change. The transformation of these industries is also accompanied by considerable employment risks.
In the financial industry, the wave of digitalization and intelligence is profoundly reshaping traditional business models.
With the rise of banks and digital currencies, traditional bank counter services and some back-office positions are gradually decreasing.
In 2023, the scale of layoffs in China's financial industry will hit a record high, and the bank golden jobs favored by people in the past will continue to see layoffs, and even the ATMs at the door have been laid off.
The transformation of the education and training industry has been equally dramatic. With the rise of education and policy adjustments, the industry has undergone an unprecedented reshuffle.
A large number of traditional training institutions are facing the pressure of market competition and have to make structural adjustments or withdraw directly from the market. Some well-known offline training institutions have been forced to close or lay off staff due to their inability to adapt to the rapidly changing market demand and policy environment.
The media and entertainment industry is also undergoing a profound transformation. With the strengthening of content regulation and the emergence of platform monopolies, many small ** and entertainment companies are struggling to survive.
The rise of new technologies such as streaming services and short platforms has further squeezed the market space for traditional and entertainment forms. This has not only led to the disappearance of a large number of jobs in the industry, but also made some practitioners have to face the challenge of career transformation.
Of course, these industries are also constantly seeking transformation, for example, the financial industry is opening up a broader range of services through the introduction of new technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, such as intelligent investment consulting, risk management, etc.
Although the online transformation of the education and training industry has experienced initial pains, it is gradually forming a more diversified and flexible education model. The transformation of the media and entertainment industry has given rise to a series of new ways of content creation and dissemination, providing new space for creative and technical talents.
Despite the major challenges faced by certain sectors, areas such as healthcare, social services, scientific and technological research and development, and cultural creativity have shown remarkable employment resilience and potential.
The key to the steady development of these industries in a volatile market environment is their high social value, technological content, innovation ability and growth potential.
Taking the healthcare industry as an example, with the aging of the population and the improvement of national health awareness, there is a growing demand for high-quality medical services.
During the pandemic, the importance of the healthcare industry has become even more prominent. Medical staff have demonstrated outstanding professionalism and irreplaceable social value in the frontline of the fight against the epidemic.
According to the background data of Lilac Talent, the number of deliveries in the first quarter of 2023 increased by 22 compared with the first quarter of 20229%；The number of delivery users increased by 3 year-on-year6%；The number of new resumes increased by 11% year-on-year.This data fully proves the strong vitality and broad development prospects of the industry.
Similarly, the R&D industry is driving society forward with its strong innovation capabilities and technological advancements. In the fields of artificial intelligence, big data, biotechnology, etc., the hard work and innovation achievements of scientific researchers have not only brought substantial progress to the society, but also provided a broad space for their own career development.
In the field of culture, sports and entertainment, creators have enriched people's spiritual life through films, art and other forms, and at the same time created new development opportunities for themselves and the industry.
From January to November 2023, 401 new sports-related enterprises will be added across the countryMore than 40,000, an increase of 84 over the same period last year9%。
In the field of social services, with the improvement of people's living standards and the diversification of social needs, this industry is expanding rapidly.
From elderly care services to psychological counseling, from community services to educational counseling, the social services industry is becoming a field that offers a wide range of employment opportunities and career development space.
Looking ahead, the trend of China's job market will be diversified and complex.
The optimization of the employment structure will be a significant trend. With the development of the economy and the upgrading of the industry, the number of high-skilled, high-quality, and high-value-added jobs will increase day by day.
With the development of cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, the demand for professionals in related fields will increase significantly.
On the contrary, those low-skilled, low-quality, low-value-added jobs, such as those in traditional manufacturing and some basic service industries, will gradually decline.
Clause. Second, the diversification of forms of employment is another important trend. Driven by digitalization and networking, new employment models such as flexible employment, remote work, and the sharing economy are emerging.
More and more people are choosing to become freelancers and provide various services through online platforms, such as education, telemedicine consulting, software development, etc. At the same time, the traditional employment model of fixed working hours, fixed location, and fixed employers will face challenges.
Third, competition for jobs will become more intense as technological change and market changes accelerate. In order to adapt to this change, employees need to continuously improve their knowledge and skills, adaptability and innovation. Taking data analysis as an example, with the popularization of big data, talents with data processing and analysis skills will become the darlings of the market.
Finally, the improvement of the employment security system will be an important part of the future labor market. **We will increase policy support for stabilizing, expanding and promoting employment.
At the same time, improving the social security system, improving the unemployment insurance coverage rate and treatment level, and establishing a mechanism to protect the rights and interests of flexible workers will become important measures to protect the rights and interests of employees.
For example, for people who work flexibly, such as online platform workers,** there may be a dedicated social security scheme to ensure that they can enjoy work flexibility while also having access to basic social protection.
In short, whether a new wave of layoffs will come is not a simple question of A or B, right and wrong.
Different industries, different positions, and different groups of people will face different employment risks and opportunities. We need to objectively understand the current situation and trends, actively respond to challenges and changes, and take the initiative to improve ourselves and adapt to the market.
Only in this way can we maintain an advantage in the fierce competition, achieve development in a complex environment, and create value in a volatile future.