Reduction Targets from Mid-30s
High Labor Intensity in Chinese Big Tech
Unusually Strong Preference for Young Developers
Young workers in China are reportedly trembling in fear of the so-called '35-year-old curse.' The 35-year-old curse refers to the possibility of losing jobs and being pushed out onto the streets starting from the mid-30s due to restructuring in the IT industry. Unlike American tech companies that conduct large-scale layoffs regardless of age, China bases its restructuring on age.
The British Financial Times (FT), citing local sources in China, reported that many IT companies in China are currently conducting layoffs. The short-form video streaming site 'Kuaishou' is a representative example, as it recently implemented a layoff program targeting mid-30s engineers.
Why specifically target developers in their mid-30s? Kuaishou has reportedly not yet provided any explanation. However, it appears to be true that a significant scale of layoffs is underway. The number of employees, which was about 28,000 at the end of 2021, decreased by 16% as of June last year.
Additionally, a considerable number of those laid off are reportedly employees aged mid-30s and above. Regarding this, FT added, "Not only Kuaishou but tens of thousands of jobs have disappeared in Chinese tech companies."
Because of this, the fear of the '35-year-old curse' is spreading among IT workers in China. There is a rumor that developers over their mid-30s are highly likely to be targeted for layoffs.
FT pointed out that Chinese IT companies have a particularly strong preference for 'young developers.' Especially those who are young and unmarried are preferred. On the other hand, there is a prejudice that older senior engineers find it difficult to keep up with the latest technology trends and are burdensome to employ for long periods.
Ma Huateng, chairman of Tencent, China's largest comprehensive internet service company, also announced in 2019 a plan to restructure 10% of management positions, emphasizing that "more passionate and younger talents, new colleagues must fill the vacancies."
An anonymous insider who worked at Meituan, a Chinese food delivery service company, told FT, "People in their 20s and 30s mostly have energy and a willingness to sacrifice themselves for the company. But when they become parents and their bodies start aging, they cannot keep up with the '996' schedule." The 996 refers to the intense workload in the Chinese IT industry, working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.
FT also pointed out that the Chinese government's stringent regulations are fueling the '35-year-old curse.' One insider told the media, "Before the COVID-19 pandemic, China's tech industry was growing rapidly, but since then, government crackdowns have begun," adding, "Now they are reducing costly management layers."
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