After failing the civil service exam, 26-year-old Xiaolin returned to her hometown at her grandfather's request. He offered her 1,000 USD monthly from his pension of over 1,400 USD. "If you take good care of me and help me live a few more years, that's more valuable than any opportunity out there," he told her.
Xiaolin believes a person's life spans only about 30,000 days, equivalent to just over 80 years. Therefore, time spent with grandparents is paramount, as it can never be regained. She agreed to return home.
Since the beginning of this year, Xiaolin has dedicated most of her time to caring for her grandfather, from managing his medications and cooking to cleaning and accompanying him to medical checkups.
With the unemployment rate for 16–24-year-olds in China reaching 15.8% in 4/2025, many young people are returning to their hometowns to become full-time grandchildren instead of continuing their job search.
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Illustration photo: Indian Express |
Illustration photo: Indian Express
This group, primarily in their 20s, takes on daily caregiving responsibilities, providing emotional support, accompanying their grandparents to medical appointments, managing medications, and handling household chores. Compared to adult children who typically care for parents who are still relatively healthy, these "full-time grandchildren" face greater challenges and demonstrate more dedication due to the generational gap and their empathy for the elderly.
Some individuals report that this role has fostered personal growth and prompted them to re-evaluate their values. One person shared that in the workplace, they only received promises, but at home, if they expressed a craving for a particular food in the evening, their grandmother would buy it the next morning.
On social media, some view this arrangement as thoughtful and more economical than hiring external caregivers. However, others argue that the average monthly pension of around 14 USD makes this role feasible only for affluent families.
Professor Zhang Dandan, a lecturer at Peking University, suggests that if those caring for parents and grandparents instead of seeking employment are included, the actual unemployment rate for the 16–24 age group could be twice the current near-20% figure.
According to Professor Zhang, the role of full-time grandchild is not just a personal choice but also reflects the increasing employment pressure on young people.
They choose to become full-time grandchildren to avoid the competitive job market, low wages, harsh working conditions, and limited benefits. A portion of this group falls under the "rotten-tail kids" category, a term referring to young people with undergraduate or postgraduate degrees who remain unemployed due to an inability to find suitable work.
They are often trapped in a recruitment system where degrees no longer guarantee stable employment or fair wages.
Zephyr Cao, a 27-year-old graduate of China Foreign Affairs University with a master's degree, said that even if he had started working immediately after graduation, his current salary wouldn't be much different, so he gave up looking for full-time employment.
"The job market reality is harsh," he said.
Ngoc Ngan (According to Indian Express, Epoch Times)
