New Trend In China, Fake Office Rental To Look Busy At Work

Illustration of working women (Photo: Freepik/pressphoto)

JAKARTA - In the midst of social pressure due to unemployment, a unique service in China is now offering opportunities for people who have lost their jobs to pretend to work by renting an office room, even pretending to be business owners.

Reporting from the Business Standard page, this rental can be obtained starting at a price of 30 yuan or IDR 68,000 per day. This provides a temporary solution for those who are reluctant to recognize unemployment status to their families, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

A video showing this service in the province of Hebei, northern China, has succeeded in attracting the public's attention widely. The office space offered can be used from 10 am to 5 pm, including lunch. The goal is to give the impression that someone is still working, in order to avoid social stigma due to job loss.

There is also a similar service with a tariff of 50 yuan or IDR 113 thousand, which allows tenants to pretend to be bosses in luxury offices complete with leather seats. They take photos to be sent to family members.

The owner of the empty office said this idea arose because of the increasing number of mass layoffs in large companies. However, although it has been widely discussed on the internet, so far no customers have actually arrived.

This phenomenon sparked widespread debate on social media in China, with shows that have been watched more than 100 million times. People's opinions are also diverse. Some see it as a form of psychological escape to provide a sense of normal for those who are unemployed. However, there are also those who criticize this method of only delaying problem solving, and can hinder efforts to really find work.

"This does not solve the problem, but at least it can give you a sense of temporary calm," wrote one Weibo user.

Unemployment among young people is of great concern in China. In June 2023, the 16'24-year-old unemployment rate hit a record high of 21.3 percent. In fact, this situation prompted the government to temporarily suspend the publication of unemployment data.

After the calculation methodology was changed by removing student groups from statistics, the young unemployment rate decreased to 16.1 percent in November 2023.

In the midst of this situation, stories about people trying hard to cover up the fact that they are not working are becoming more and more common.

Netizens from various countries also share experiences about pressures due to unemployment, layoffs, to fatigue in the process of looking for work. The increasing number of job seek platforms also adds to the pressure, as many people feel they have to apply for 2'3 jobs every day.

"It feels like if you haven't been called a job, it's like a personal failure, not because of a difficult job market." said one social media user.

In this context, renting an office to pretend to be an understandable choice. Even so, some netizens suggested that people who feel pressured should also consider counseling, and use this rental room as a place to continue to seek work actively.