In this country, people are paying companies so that they can 'pretend to work'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "In this country, people are paying companies so that they can 'pretend to work'")
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There are pretend-work offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and industrial hubs like Taiyuan, according to recent reports. These offices are being hosted in unused law offices, old livestream studios, and even farms
Chinese youth and companies have come up with a creative yet controversial response to rising unemployment and societal pressure to appear employed: hire space in offices and pretend to work. Here is what it means:
What is ‘pretend to work’ trend in China?
People aged between 16 and 24 in China are paying to rent office spaces that simulate real workplaces. These pretend-work offices are complete with desks, Wi-Fi, computers, meeting rooms and sometimes, even food.
The youth, in order to avoid the social stigma of unemployment, go to these places and spend time there. They do this to ease family pressure amid a youth jobless rate in China that hit 16 per cent as of March this year.
How popular is the ‘pretend to work’ trend in China?
There are pretend-work offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and industrial hubs like Taiyuan, according to recent reports. These offices are being hosted in unused law offices, old livestream studios, and even farms offering outdoor work, said the reports.
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Such workspaces fill up within a month of opening, according to some reports. For instance, The Pretend To Work Company in Dongguan, launched in April 2025, was full in a month. The Shuangjing Office in Beijing is a converted law firm space, while farm-based workspaces combine desk work with physical farm tasks. Operators like Feiyu described the pretend-work trend as a social experiment. Social media content on 'pretend office life' is going viral, clocking millions of views.
How does the pretend-work system operate in China?
Up to 40 per cent of the youth who pay to be in pretend-work offices are recent graduates, while the remaining 60 per cent are freelancers or digital nomads, according to reports. Their ages typically range from 25 to 30 years.
The ‘applicants’ can pay a daily rate of between 30 to 50 yuan or $4 to $7, or choose monthly plans costing around 400 yuan. They get basic office amenities or can go premium, with even fake supervisors, staged photos. Some stints can end with fake employment certificates.
Those going to these offices spend time between 8 PM to 11 PM. During their time in the offices, they hunt of jobs, network, or work on personal projects, often organising group dinners and fostering a sense of community.
Why is pretend work so popular in China?
Layoffs in tech, real estate and education sectors pushed overall urban unemployment in China to 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. Amid this, the pretend-work centres are sanctuaries offering routine, mental structure and emotional relief.
It’s a temporary coping mechanism, but some see it as delaying real career progress. Some do use this time to learn new skills like AI tools.
Pretend-work trend in China exposes a deeper malaise
The pretend work trend is symptomatic of the disconnect between education and labour market needs in China.
It also highlights cultural pressures where unemployment carries shame, prompting the youth to engage in this elaborate self-deception.
While it can be a short-term relief from reality, the trend underscores deeper systemic issues in China that are unresolved.
