Key facts
- Paid "life stand-ins" are being hired in China for tasks such as cooking, attending hospital visits, and running errands.
- The "stand-in economy" is driven by time-strapped consumers seeking convenience.
- Young Chinese are increasingly becoming "full-time children," paid by their families to handle domestic chores and care for relatives.
- This trend is partly a response to China's high youth unemployment rate, which hit 21.3% in June.
- Services known as "outsourced children" are emerging to provide companionship and care for elderly individuals living alone.
- "Outsourced children" services typically charge 200 to 500 yuan ($28 to $70) for tasks like hospital visits and grocery shopping.
A growing trend in China sees young people hiring paid "life stand-ins" to manage domestic responsibilities, a phenomenon fueled by economic pressures and a desire for convenience. These services, part of the "stand-in economy," range from cooking and attending hospital visits to providing companionship for elderly parents.
One manifestation of this trend is the rise of "full-time children," where recent graduates unable to find suitable employment are paid by their families to perform household chores and care for relatives. Cheng Jun, a 22-year-old marketing graduate, exemplifies this, receiving a monthly wage of 4,000 yuan ($550) for domestic duties, a better financial arrangement than available graduate jobs.
This arrangement is partly a response to China's soaring youth unemployment rate, which reached 21.3% in June. Liu Wenrong, a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, notes that the "full-time child" label offers a more comfortable and transitional role for young adults facing economic hardship and stigma.
Simultaneously, services known as "outsourced children" are gaining popularity to address the needs of the growing elderly population, over half of whom live apart from their children. These services, often promoted on social media and second-hand trading platforms, typically charge between 200 to 500 yuan ($28 to $70) for tasks like hospital visits, grocery shopping, and companionship. Peng Lei, an organizer of such a group in Dalian, stated that most clients are children of elderly parents living elsewhere.
However, the lack of regulation in these emerging markets raises concerns. Zhao Jingwu, an associate law professor at Beihang University, warned of potential risks including fraud and inheritance disputes, particularly if elderly individuals make property gifts or wills out of gratitude.