logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
18m 20s

China's rising youth unemployment: Part ...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Is trouble brewing for the world’s second largest economy?

China’s exports are down, the property market’s creaking, and millions of young people - more than one in five - are officially classed as unemployed.

It's not just the lack of jobs, it's the quality of employment that's now on offer - much of it informal in sectors like hospitality or food delivery.

In the first of two programmes assessing the economic challenges, Ed Butler asks, what's gone wrong?

Produced and presented by Ed Butler.

(Image: A job-seeker look for employment at a job fair for college graduates in Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu province in Feb 2023. Credit: ZHONG NAN / Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Up next
Yesterday
Is this the end for South East Asia's scam centres?
<p>It’s one of the biggest human trafficking operations of modern times. Scam centres across South East Asia have been making hundreds of billions of dollars annually, it’s estimated, conning people into fake crypto-currency investment schemes. </p><p>But now these centres could ... Show More
18m 29s
Nov 24
Monetising Machu Picchu
<p>Peru is home to Machu Picchu - the ancient Inca city in the Andes mountains. </p><p>It's one of the seven wonders of the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popular tourist destination attracts millions of visitors, making it very lucrative for the government, local a ... Show More
17m 38s
Nov 21
What happens when the aid money runs out?
<p>In the second of our two-part series on tightening aid budgets, Sam Fenwick explores what shrinking donor support means for global health — from the sudden halt to major US-funded projects, to the pressure on low-income countries to increase their own health spending.</p><p>As ... Show More
17m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
Is China’s economy in trouble?
Xi Jinping has begun an unprecedented third term as Chinese president, after securing his position at the Communist Party Congress. But key economic data was delayed until after the congress ended. It was lower than government targets, causing Chinese markets to fall. The Chinese ... Show More
23m 49s
Mar 2023
L’économie chinoise va-t-elle renouer avec sa fabuleuse croissance?
En Chine, l’activité industrielle est repartie sur les chapeaux de roue en février. L'économie chinoise semble se relever plus rapidement que prévu. Elle sort de trois ans d’isolement imposé au nom de la politique « zéro covid ». Ces bons chiffres de l'industrie sont bienvenus à ... Show More
3m 49s
Oct 2022
Chetan Ahya: When Will China’s Economy Reopen?
<p>While China’s policy objectives strive for common prosperity, the country’s strict COVID management poses risks to employment and income, so when might Chinese policymakers start to reopen and recover?</p><p><br></p><p>----- Transcript -----</p><p><br></p><p>Welcome to Thought ... Show More
3m 3s
Sep 2022
US jobs growth continues
US employers added 315,000 jobs in August in the latest figures, despite a jump in unemployment. We ask KPMG's chief economist Diane Swonk what this could mean for the country's economy. Australia says it's raising its cap on permanent migration for the first time in a decade to ... Show More
26m 18s
Oct 2023
US Labour market: what's behind unexpected growth?
Employers added 336,000 jobs in September, almost double the 170,000 estimated, according to figures released by the Labor Department. Great news if you're looking for work there, of course, but if you're in the Federal Reserve, America's central bank, and worried about the econo ... Show More
50m 18s
Sep 2023
China's weakening economy in two Indicators
In China, data on the economy is sometimes difficult to come by. The Chinese government has put a pause on releasing some of its official economic data. But many of the stories emerging from the country paint a clear picture: the second largest economy in the world is struggling. ... Show More
18m 32s
Feb 2024
Could entrepreneurship be the remedy to high youth unemployment?
It’s a common story across the continent. A student graduates from university. They celebrate the end of their hard work with proud family members. But when they start job hunting they find they face fierce competition for a small number of jobs. The International Labour Organiza ... Show More
20m 6s