China Netizens Slam Professor as 320 Million Flexible Workers Face Job Insecurity
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 24
China Netizens Slam Professor as 320 Million Flexible Workers Face Job Insecurity
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 24
Summary
Weekend backlash erupted after Peking University professor Zhang Dandan said on a financial show that gig work's “flexibility itself is a form of welfare,” a remark many Chinese users called tone-deaf.
320 million flexible workers are expected in China this year, up from 280 million in 2025, underscoring why the comment hit a nerve in an economy where secure full-time jobs are harder to find.
Gig jobs often leave employers outside mandatory social-insurance contributions, raising long-term risks for already strained welfare and pension systems while workers shoulder unstable income and weak protections.
Hu Xijin, a prominent nationalist commentator, called Zhang's remarks “shocking” and “unacceptable” and said she should explain herself and apologize, though some users noted her past research has highlighted gig workers' hardships.