More than 700 people applied to work as shepherds

More than 700 people applied for the two positions posted at the end of April, from recent university graduates, factory workers across China to office workers in megacities such as Shanghai and Chongqing. The post attracted 59 million views in just a few hours on social network Weibo, and created 21,000 discussions.

This shows that the pressure on the Chinese labor market is increasing. “I didn’t think the post would go viral like that. It seems like ordinary people are having a hard time finding work,” said Zuo – the farm owner. He revealed that 10% of candidates have just graduated from University.

Latest Chinese government figures show the unemployment rate is just over 5%. However, underemployment is high and private-sector incomes have grown more slowly than economic growth for much of the past decade. Both manual workers and office workers complain about the “996” work culture – working from 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week.

Analysts predict the labor market will worsen in the coming months, as factories face rising costs due to the Middle East conflict, AI is increasingly used and a record number of 12.7 million college graduates this summer begin looking for work.

The reaction to Zuo’s recruitment news “also shows that the labor market is still very competitive and often has low remuneration. Jobs in urban areas are increasingly less attractive and scarce”, said Lynn Song – chief economist for China at ING.

China’s 5% economic growth is now heavily dependent on exports, as manufacturers sacrifice profits to gain global market share. This creates more pressure on domestic workers.

James Guo (21 years old) – one of the shepherd applicants – said he was exhausted from his work at the container factory. “You can’t imagine the feeling of working more than 13 hours a day, screwing until your hands are swollen and full of blisters, not even having time to go to the bathroom. The workload is too great,” he said.

Zuo’s announcement prioritizes couples. The job is to herd 3,000 sheep on 2,000 hectares of pasture in the summer. In winter, there’s indoor feeding and cleaning, when temperatures can drop below minus 30 degrees Celsius. Still, the salary will be 8,000 yuan ($1,178) per month – much higher than the average of about 6,000 yuan at urban private companies. Shepherds are also provided with accommodation and food.

People with master’s degrees from top universities also seek similar salaries in Shanghai, said Shaun Rein – Director of China Market Research Group. However, most of their income will evaporate after paying rent for a tiny apartment and other basic living expenses.

Zuo said this salary is commensurate with the rigors of the job. “The income is high, but the most important thing is whether you can work long term and get through the winter. This is not a trip,” he said.

Half of the applicants were born in the 1990s. This is the group that Chinese workers call the “35 year old curse”. Studies show that most businesses, including the public sector, often ignore candidates over this age.

Wu (28 years old) is an office worker in the e-commerce industry, currently earning 10,000 yuan per month, but is still attracted to the job of herding sheep. “I want to escape city life and not have to deal with all kinds of annoying people anymore. I can enjoy a peaceful life, separate from the world,” she said.

However, Zuo ended up recruiting four people – including two couples – who were all born in the 80s and had worked at the farm before. Although he still maintains a waiting list of 40 other couples, he said he will not consider singles or urban youth for this position.

“Where we are, you might not see anyone for a whole year. Whether they can stand feeling so lonely or not. I don’t know,” Zuo said.