A survey conducted between last November and March this year by the Employees Retraining Board, an independent statutory body, found that half the 1,261 people they interviewed expressed little interest in working. That number might seem high, but survey respondents included homemakers and recent retirees.
For those who have recently retired, it makes perfect sense. Finally leaving the rat race probably means they won’t want to sign up for another. It’s time to rest, travel a bit and just enjoy life. Estimates suggest we spend a third of our lives working. For Hong Kong, where working overtime is the norm, our numbers are likely to be even higher.
How about homemakers? Of course they have little interest in work. They are already working full-time jobs. Those aged 30 to 49, the survey found, were more inclined to find a job, but only for those they could work on a part-time basis.
What is alarming about the survey results is that more than 36 per cent of young people interviewed who were neither in school nor employed said they had no intentions of finding a job. Even with the prospect of good salaries and benefits, flexible working hours and working from home, only some would consider working.
That’s hard for some middle-aged people to wrap their head around. If I was paid better, given the freedom to work flexible hours and not be in the office, I would be stoked. So why are young people in their prime taking a pass?
We should put our judgments on hold for a moment and listen to the answers from the recently retired, homemakers and middle-aged people. Young people probably don’t see the point in working long hours and dealing with the stress that comes with it while not having time to live their lives.
02:12
Working until 70: Ageing in northeast China signals looming pension crisis
Working until 70: Ageing in northeast China signals looming pension crisis
The recently retired are not jumping at the chance to go back to work. Retirees who were open to returning to work said they would consider it if they had good salaries and perks, stress-free duties and support from jobseeker organisations. In other words, they would work if they could take it easy.
The emphasis on stress is telling. We have long been told stress is an inescapable part of life and accepted that being stressed means we’re doing something right and being productive, but that isn’t correct.
Being paid better doesn’t insulate us from the effects of stress. Workplace stress can stem from many different issues, such as being in a high-strung work environment long enough that the office is full of tired, burned-out colleagues. That can quickly make the work environment toxic and work unpleasant.
It is not that Hong Kong’s young people have started “lying flat” like their counterparts on the mainland.
In terms of acting out, young people in some countries have started squandering their money in a phenomenon called “doom spending”, taking retail therapy to a new level. In comparison, lying flat seems like a smarter option than unnecessarily spending money. It’s more environmentally friendly, and if these young people are living with their parents, there is little incentive to leave their comfort zone.
10:28
‘Let it rot’: surviving China’s high unemployment and cost of living
‘Let it rot’: surviving China’s high unemployment and cost of living
While the Employees Retraining Board didn’t release a more detailed breakdown of the survey’s findings, it is easy to imagine why homemakers prefer part-time work. One is likely not having enough spare time to work full time, meaning the demands of full-time work are a deterrent for more than one demographic.
Middle-aged people with dependents don’t have the luxury of lying flat. If today’s young people grew up with both parents being stressed while working long hours, though, it’s easy to understand why doing the same is unappealing to them. Having children isn’t high on their priority list, either, which partly explains the low birth rate.
I definitely had it better than young people today when I was young. For example, home prices and rent were nothing compared to what they are now. Young people probably look at people like me and ask whey they would want to get to where we are now.
Labour shortages across many industries are exacerbating the problem. Most people are doing more than one person’s job, and as the stress and tasks pile up, those with no interest in joining the workforce will feel further validated in their choices.
There is much for the government and employers to consider. It’s not just about perks or work-life balance any more. The first move is to not brush off young people as simply being lazy.
Alice Wu is a political consultant and a former associate director of the Asia Pacific Media Network at UCLA
