Viral Shepherd Job Ad Exposes Deepening Strains in China's Labor Market

A viral job posting for shepherds in China's remote northern grasslands drew over 700 applications for just two positions, underscoring the intensifying pressures on the nation’s workforce. The late April ad from farm owner Zuo Xiaoyong received 59 million views on Weibo, attracting white-collar workers, factory employees, and university graduates seeking escape from cut-throat urban employment. The offered monthly salary of 8,000 yuan ($1,178), above the urban private-sector average, highlights how soaring living costs and the “996” culture of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six-day weeks are making rural, physically demanding roles more appealing. ING’s chief China economist called the response “symptomatic of a highly competitive and often low-rewarding labour market,” with underemployment rising even as headline unemployment hovers above 5%. Analysts expect conditions to worsen as a record 12.7 million graduates enter the job market this summer, factories digest higher costs, and AI adoption accelerates. Half of the applicants were born in the 1990s, a cohort central to the “curse of 35,” where many employers overlook older candidates. The episode reflects a broader shift as white-collar burnout and stagnant private-sector incomes erode the traditional allure of city jobs.