Short Video Apps Emerge as Key Channel for Recruitment of Blue-Collar Workers in China

In China, short video apps aren't just for entertainment – they're also being used to find new jobs.

Credit: Bloomberg via South China Morning Post

According to a report by think tank Center for China New Employment Models (CCNEM) and short video app Kuaishou Technology, as cited by the South China Morning Post, short video is quickly becoming a key recruitment channel among China's 400 million blue-collar workers.

The new communication tool has become so popular that it beat traditional recruitment websites and apps in the report, with over 17.7% of Chinese blue-collar workers saying they prefer it, and is also the second-most popular recruitment channel behind "interpersonal introductions", which garnered a share of 67.6%.

One Kuaishou influencer, for example, has helped up to 14,000 workers find jobs by promoting recruitment information on the platform over two years.

The report is based on surveys conducted by Kuaishou, which is the second-largest short video app in China, with around 250 million monthly active users who are blue collar workers. In the report, blue collar workers are classified as those engaged in manual labour in the manufacturing and services sector. They account for about 70% of the total workforce in the aforementioned sectors in the country, earning between 5,000 to 8,000 yuan per month.

Credit: Reuters

More than half of the blue-collar workers who participated in the survey are also aged over 40, highlighting China’s ageing problem. The average age for the entire workforce is 38.8 years old. Employers hope to gradually replace older workers with Chinese millennials.

Zhang Chengang, Head of CCNEM, said, to attract younger workers, employers must digitally transform blue-collar employment practices, including information exchange.

“Improving the happiness and fulfilment in blue-collar jobs is conducive to social justice and social development,” added Zhang.

The manufacturing sector remains more attractive to jobseekers than the service sector, with the former receiving three times more applications than the latter.

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• Short video apps like Kuaishou and Douyin are quickly becoming a key recruitment channel among China's 400 million blue-collar workers.

• The new communication tool has become so popular that it beat traditional recruitment websites and apps in the report, with over 17.7% of Chinese blue-collar workers saying they prefer it.

• It is also the second-most popular recruitment channel behind "interpersonal introductions", which garnered a share of 67.6%.