The Rise of "Pretend Work" Offices Amidst Youth Unemployment in China

Thu Oct 16 2025 22:18:04 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Young Chinese adults are increasingly opting to pay for spaces in mock offices, creating a unique trend born from a tough job market and high unemployment rates.

With youth unemployment in China exceeding 14%, many young adults are turning to "pretend work" offices, where they pay to use office environments as a way to combat isolation and maintain a sense of productivity. These setups aim to provide dignity and a semblance of employment during economic uncertainties, fostering camaraderie and self-discipline among attendees.

In China, an unusual trend has emerged among unemployed young adults: paying to use office spaces to simulate work environments. The phenomenon has gained traction amid a struggling economy and persistent youth unemployment, which currently hovers over 14%. With legitimate job opportunities scarce, many are opting to join "pretend work" companies, where fees for daily access range from 30 to 50 yuan.

Shui Zhou, a 30-year-old with a failed food business, pays 30 yuan each day to join a collective at the Pretend To Work Company in Dongguan. There, he finds camaraderie and motivation among fellow attendees. "I feel very happy," Zhou shares, appreciating the structure the mock office provides. Such facilities have cropped up in major urban areas, featuring elements typical of a real office, including computers and meeting rooms.

Dr. Christian Yao, a senior lecturer in management, notes that these "pretend" offices serve as transitional spaces for youth navigating the challenging job market. For Zhou, the office environment has heightened his self-discipline, allowing him to project a sense of normalcy to his family. He often arrives early and sometimes stays until late in the evening.

Similarly, in Shanghai, 23-year-old Xiaowen Tang utilized a pretend work space to produce online novels while providing the illusion of internship experience to her university. The young woman echoes the sentiments of others: "If you're going to fake it, just fake it to the end."

Feiyu, the owner of the Pretend To Work Company, recognizes that his venture offers "the dignity of not being a useless person." After facing unemployment himself, he believes these spaces provide a much-needed psychological boost and networking opportunities for freelancers and recent graduates—40% of whom use the offices to convince parents or schools of their productivity.

While many attendees engage in job searching or skill development, it's still uncertain whether these operations will sustain long-term profitability. Feiyu considers the initiative a social experiment, posing the challenge of turning pretended employment into real opportunities.

For young adults like Zhou, the goal is to learn new skills, particularly in AI, to increase their chances of securing a full-time position in a competitive market.