In China, 35 Is an Age to Be Feared

Forty might be the dreaded age at which you're over the hill, but take comfort: In China, 35 is apparently the age to fear. The New York Times reports on the "Curse of 35," which it calls a "widespread belief" that Chinese workers lose their appeal after 35. Age discrimination in hiring isn't illegal there; in fact, most civil servant positions explicitly state job openings are for those 35 and under. As for why younger workers are favored, the Times notes they're less expensive and more willing to work overtime.

One young worker tells the paper he worked till at least 11pm every night for one three-month period. He's now 35 and unemployed after deep job cuts at the AI company he worked for. Six months later, he's had 10 interviews but no offers and describes his age as like a "plague." Indeed, a February 2021 South China Morning Post article on the trend says it's most apparent among tech companies, which consider developers over 35 too old to handle 70-plus-hour weeks. In its report, the paper flagged a question posted to a Chinese site akin to the Q&A site Quora in 2019: "How does a 40-year-old unemployed individual live on?" By 2021, it had amassed 27 million views.

One woman who showed the Times a job listing that capped the age limit at 32 explained it like so: Chinese companies don't place a premium on experience and expertise because their focus is on following the hot trend of the minute rather than refining their current offerings. She was laid off in September and says she messages more than 3,000 companies, sending her resume to 10% of them. After 9 months she landed a job, but she remains morose. "I used to have expectations. I wanted promotions, pay raises and a better life. Now I have none. I just want to survive." (More age discrimination stories.)