China's netizens rage against professor who said gig work was a type of 'welfare'
A Peking University professor faced public backlash after describing gig work as a form of 'welfare' due to its flexibility. The controversy highlights growing anxiety in China regarding job insecurity and the lack of social protections for the massive gig workforce.
Why it matters
The debate reflects the tension between economic modernization and the erosion of traditional labor rights in a cooling Chinese economy.
HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters): The term "flexible employment" has gone viral in China after a prominent economics professor described gig work as a form of "welfare", drawing widespread public anger and highlighting deep anxieties over job insecurity.
Zhang Dandan, a professor of economics and deputy dean at Peking University's National School of Development, made the remarks during a discussion on social protection for gig workers, on the popular financial show "Let's Talk" last week.
She argued that from the perspective of labour economics, "flexibility itself is a form of welfare."
While regular employees trade schedule flexibility for pensions and other benefits, flexible workers enjoy greater control over their time at the cost of weaker social protections, Zhang said.
The comments triggered a fierce backlash over the weekend, with social media users accusing Zhang of being oblivious to the harsh realities of the gig economy.
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