If Successful, Earn Over 20 Million KRW per Month... 9 Million People Enter China's Live Stream Host Market Amid Employment Crisis

China Youth Unemployment Rate Hits Record High of 21.3% in June Last Year
Despite Changes in Statistical Methods, Employment Challenges Persist... Live Commerce Gains Attention
Some Live Commerce Success Stories, but Most Earn Less Than 1 Million KRW per Month

In China, "internet anchors" who conduct online live broadcasts (live streaming) have been registered as a new type of occupation. On the 2nd, Chinese economic media Beijing Business Daily reported, "The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China recently added 19 new occupations on its official website, including 'internet anchors'." Amid the serious youth unemployment problem in China, live stream hosts who earn large sums of money in a short period have attracted attention, with an estimated more than 9 million people entering the live streaming field.

According to the "Online Live Broadcast and Short Video Industry Development Report" jointly published by the China Performance Industry Association and others, by the end of last year, the number of online broadcast accounts in China exceeded 150 million, a 7.1% increase compared to the previous year. Also, according to research by Professor Ruben Fu of the Graduate School of Economics and Management at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in April, as of the end of last year, a total of 15.08 million people were engaged in live streaming as their main occupation. Among them, more than 60% were youths aged 18 to 29, exceeding 9 million. Regarding the registration of this occupation, Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said, "Many people work as part-time or full-time anchors but have not been recognized as legitimate occupations," adding, "This measure will help eliminate occupational prejudice and expand job choice options."

Chinese youths are experiencing severe employment difficulties. In June last year, the youth unemployment rate in China was 21.3%, the highest since related statistics began to be compiled in 2018. In response, Chinese authorities temporarily stopped releasing unemployment statistics but resumed publication this year after changing the statistical method. As a result, the youth unemployment rate for those aged 16 to 26 last year was reported at 14.9%. However, while young people still express difficulties in finding jobs, interest in live streaming hosting is increasing.

This trend is partly influenced by "Hwang Gyosa," who became a star last May on the video platform Douyin by teaching nursery school children nursery rhymes with cute rhythmic movements. Through live commerce introducing products via live streaming, he attracted an average of 5.82 million viewers per session and generated sales of up to 2.5 million yuan (approximately 460 million KRW), drawing significant attention.

However, there is also analysis that such cases are very rare. According to the "Online Live Broadcast and Short Video Industry Development Report," 95.2% of live stream hosts earned less than 5,000 yuan (950,000 KRW) per month, and only 0.4% were high earners with monthly incomes exceeding 100,000 yuan (19.07 million KRW). The live streaming industry is structured so that the top 2% take 80% of the total revenue. A former live stream host in Beijing told the media, "The era of nationwide internet celebrities is over. With the changing environment and economic downturn, the possibility of becoming wealthy on one's own is very low."