In these uncertain times, as a flexible worker, I am deeply aware of the challenges and opportunities that life offers. Recently, I have been concerned about a phenomenon that many flexible workers like me are choosing to withdraw their social security contributions. This decision may sound incredible, after all, social security, as a basic social benefit, is very important to each of us. But why do so many people choose to give up? Let me share the reasons behind it.
Over the past few years, the global economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, and many industries have been hit like never before. For those of us who are working flexibly, income instability further exacerbates the uncertainty of life. I have a few friends who could easily earn more than 10,000 yuan a month before the pandemic, but now, their income has almost halved, and the cost of living has not dropped accordingly. In this case, it is really difficult to have to bear the cost of social security alone every month.
What's even more troubling is that the way social security is paid is becoming more and more unfriendly to us. In the past, we were able to pay through some third-party companies, although there is a certain risk, but at least it can reduce some of the burden. However, this method is now severely restricted and may even involve illegality. I've tried to pay directly into Social Security myself, but it's overwhelmingly complicated. I went through various departments, spent a lot of time and energy, and finally faced various obstacles, such as deductions caused by system upgrades, and the inability to calculate the average salary normally.
In addition to these immediate concerns, there is a deeper reason why I and many of my peers have begun to reconsider the value of social security. That is, there is more and more discussion about delaying the retirement age, and the pressure on social security** is also increasing. We're starting to worry about whether we'll really be able to enjoy the benefits we deserve when we reach retirement age. If the retirement age is delayed, then we will have to pay social security for a longer period of time, but the period of time we can receive it may be significantly shorter.
In the face of these real-world challenges, I began to wonder if there were other ways to secure my future. I'm not trying to give up on social security entirely, but I'm looking for a more reasonable and sustainable way to deal with the uncertainty of the future. When I talked to other colleagues, I realized that I was not alone in this confusion. Many people are running for life, and at the same time, they are also trying and working hard for their future.
In the face of such a dilemma, I think the most important thing is to keep an open mind and actively look for solutions to problems. For example, we can strengthen our economic base and reduce our dependence on a single income by improving our personal skills and diversifying our incomes**. At the same time, we also hope to provide more support for flexible employees, such as simplifying the social security payment process, providing more flexible payment schemes, and taking into account the particularity of flexible employees, to provide us with more social security.
In these challenging times, flexible workers need more support and understanding. It's not that we don't want to pay social security, but we are looking for a more viable way to survive under the pressure of reality. I hope that through my sharing, more people can understand the plight of flexible workers, and I hope to inspire more discussions and actions on how to improve the living conditions of our group. After all, the progress of a society is not only reflected in the grand economic figures, but also in the care and support for each individual.