China adds anti-epidemic worker to professions list
China has added nine new professions on its official list of occupations, including internet marketer and blockchain application operator, as the country moves to diversify its job market and stimulate the internet industry amid economic pressure brought by the coronavirus epidemic.
China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security along with the State Administration of Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics announced the following nine professions: blockchain engineering technician, blockchain application operator, urban management grid worker, internet marketer, information security tester, online learning service technician, community health assistant, elderly capacity evaluator and additive manufacturing equipment operator.
Also, the job title “livestreaming salesperson” was added under the profession of internet marketer. Antiepidemic worker, sterilizer were also included.
Most of the occupations announced have existed for a while and are not new, but the announcement clarified their employment requirements, which can help standardize industry norms and end the chaos resulting from low thresholds, Zhu Wei, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Monday.
Former National Bureau of Statistics chief economist Yao Jingyuan told the Global Times that the announcement can standardize the emerging industries’ norms and help promote their healthy and stable development.
Another senior industry observer who requested anonymity told the Global Times that the emerging occupations such as the livestreaming salesperson and e-sports player have been very popular in recent years. Including these professions into the data is in line with the development of society, which is practiced worldwide, the observer noted.
These comments came after speculations over adding these new occupations would make China’s employment data look better than reality.
Zhu noted that expanding the range of self-employment and freelancing doesn’t mean that there are no thresholds to employment.