Thinking About China
Opinion

China’s Lost Youth: ‘Rat People’ and ‘Full-Time Grandkids’

High youth unemployment and negative social trends highlight a growing disconnect between Beijing’s military mobilization goals and economic ambition.
China’s Lost Youth: ‘Rat People’ and ‘Full-Time Grandkids’
Many young adults attend a job fair in Beijing on Aug. 26, 2022. Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images
Antonio Graceffo
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Commentary

China’s rising youth unemployment and retreat into trends like “lying flat,” “rat people,” and “full-time grandchildren” reveal a growing disconnect between Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s calls for national rejuvenation and a generation increasingly unwilling or unable to work.

Antonio Graceffo
Antonio Graceffo
Author
Antonio Graceffo, Ph.D., is a China economy analyst who has spent more than 20 years in Asia. Graceffo is a graduate of the Shanghai University of Sport, holds an MBA from Shanghai Jiaotong University, and studied national security at American Military University.