In fact, young Chinese job seekers are paying to spend their waking hours in fake office setups run by Pretend to Work Company. It's a setup that's supposed to make people feel employed, minus the paycheck and an actual job, according to Fortune.
Why young Chinese job seekers are spending money on pretend work
At a cost of $4.20 to $7 per day, it might seem like renting out a desk in a coworking space isn't such an expensive prospect. And it’s a good way to get out of the house and be among likeminded peers — one benefit of working in an office.
But as Fortune reports, Chinese workers aged 16 to 24 typically only earn around $16,000 per year. As such, spending up to $35 to $49 per week to get the office experience is a costly endeavor — especially when there is no paycheck on the other end.
So why are young workers drawn to such spaces? For some, it's an opportunity to make friends, build connections and enjoy free lunch, snacks and drinks. But for others, it's a matter of motivation.
If you're paying to have a space to do work in, you may be more inclined to do actual work — even if you're not being paid. That work could come in the form of working on your own business, reaching out to companies that may be hiring, writing cover letters, or even hammering away at a freelance business to earn a little bit of money before a more permanent job presents itself.
Are pretend workspaces an effective transitional solution?
Pretend work spaces in China are sometimes called a "transitional solution" for young people who can't find jobs. But are they effective?
It can be argued that if going to an office setting motivates people to actually be active job seekers, then yes, they're effective. However, for now, it’s impossible to know whether such spaces actually improve the odds of landing a job. And, for people who are just as motivated to look for work from home, there may be little point to spending money on an already-limited income just to rent a different desk under a different roof to do the same thing.
It can be especially wasteful for younger job seekers to spend money on a coworking space, since they may be less likely than their older counterparts to have savings or some type of safety net. This holds true in China as well as the U.S.
