Lawyers Struggling to Survive Amid China’s Social Insurance Squeeze

Increased enforcement of social insurance deductions is slashing take-home pay for many and raising costs for small firms already struggling with weak demand.

Police patrol at the gate of Kunming's Intermediate Court in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province on Sept. 12, 2014. STR/AFP/Getty Images

Weeping into the camera about her struggle survive on 32 yuan (US$4.40) a day—barely enough for the subway to work and a simple meal—a law school graduate has become a lightning rod for struggles to survive in the legal profession in China.

In the viral video, she describes how social insurance eats up over two thirds of her 2,500-yuan (US$350) monthly salary, leaving her with just 700 yuan (US$97) for essentials.