China’s ‘Full-Time Grandchildren’ Trend Highlights Youth Unemployment

Experts say that the new term is just another way of saying that a large number of young people in China are unemployed.

University students attend a job fair in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei Province, on March 6, 2024. With few career options and mounting disillusionment, many young Chinese are caring for elderly relatives in exchange for food, housing, or modest support, giving rise to the viral label ‘full-time grandchildren.’ STR/AFP via Getty Images

As China’s economy continues to slow and youth unemployment remains high, a growing number of young people are turning to an unconventional career path—becoming full-time caregivers for their grandparents.

Dubbed as “full-time grandchildren,” this trend has taken off on Chinese social media, where disillusioned Gen Zers, especially those born after 2000, share stories of abandoning the ultra-competitive urban job market to return to their hometowns and care for aging relatives.