Chinese ad looking for people under 30 sparks outcry from older job seekers
China
A job advertisement from a Chinese grocery store which was looking for cashiers aged 18 to 30 sparked an outcry on social media from many older people still trying to find a job in a sluggish economy. In China, many millennial workers fear that they have succumbed to the “curse of 35".
About the advertisement
The user who posted a picture of the ad seeking cashiers garnered more than 140 million views and 41,000 comments on the social media platform Weibo, many of which were emotional. “It’s not easy,” said one user, according to Reuters.
“I am 33 this year and have been looking for a job for three years,” said another user.
“I’ve been laid off three times since I graduated. Now, no one has replied to my resume even if I (write) I am unmarried and do not have a child,” another user wrote who said they were 29.
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‘Curse of 35’
Many users also made references to what is now becoming widely referred to as the “Curse of 35”. The term was originally coined on Chinese social media and is used to describe rumoured layoffs of older workers by major tech companies.
There is no specific law against age discrimination, though state media last year criticised employers for “discriminatory” hiring practices, including those who looked for younger and cheaper workers.
However, this discrimination can even be seen in the Chinese government which rules out candidates above 35 for many of its civil servant positions, reported CNN.
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“Was it difficult to find a job when you were over 35 before?” asked another Weibo user, adding “Now it’s 30 years old.”
“At the same time, the retirement age has to be delayed. So what are you going to do in between?” the user said.
This comes as the Chinese government prepared to raise the retirement age in phases as the population ages, the state media had reported, but no specific plans have been announced to do so yet.
(With inputs from agencies)