China's Secret Weapon That Western Nations Lack

Amid an economic slowdown and major shifts in the global labour market, China still holds one advantage over many Western countries: a high level of workforce participation. According to the latest time-use survey in China, more than 75% of the population aged 18 to 59 are still engaged in various forms of paid work. That figure is far higher than in the United States, which recorded a participation rate of around 56% for a comparable age group. The findings suggest that the main difference between China and Western nations lies not in the length of the working day, but in the number of people who remain active in the labour force. In recent years, millions of construction workers in China have lost their jobs due to the property sector slump. Meanwhile, office workers also face uncertainty brought on by the development of artificial intelligence. Despite this, the level of public engagement in the workforce remains high. The survey also showed that working hours in China have tended to decline as the country has become more prosperous. In the 2018 survey, the average worker in China spent 7 hours and 8 minutes per day on regular employment or family business. In the latest survey, that figure fell to 6 hours and 23 minutes per day. Indeed, the average working hours are not much different from those reported by workers in the US and Germany. A similar pattern is seen across China’s provinces. More affluent regions generally have shorter working hours than areas with lower income levels. Beijing and Shanghai, for instance, recorded lower average working hours than many other parts of China. As the country’s two wealthiest cities, they enjoy greater leisure time compared to regions that are still developing. One exception is Zhejiang, the province home to the city of Wenzhou and the tech hub Hangzhou. Although classified as prosperous, workers in this region still log relatively long hours. This high labour force participation is also reflected in the worker award system routinely granted by the Chinese government. Through labour medals, the government honours workers deemed to have made significant contributions to national development. However, the system has drawn scrutiny for not fully reflecting the structure of China’s modern labour market. The list of recipients is still dominated by engineers, technicians, and party officials. Meanwhile, workers in the service sector and the gig economy, which now absorb an increasing share of the labour force, are relatively underrepresented. Nevertheless, the Chinese government continues to promote a strong work ethic and national productivity. In the award announcement, the trade union federation called on workers to follow the example of the medal recipients by showing greater dedication to their jobs and to national development. Amid various economic challenges, the high number of people who remain active in the workforce is one factor that sets China apart from many Western countries today.