For months, Ma Yongjian didn\u2019t tell his parents where he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Halfway through a master\u2019s degree in computer science, the 27-year-old stopped going to class last year. Software engineering used to be a safe career choice, but the rise of artificial intelligence and a wave of layoffs at Chinese tech companies left Ma convinced he wouldn\u2019t be able to land a good job. He no longer saw the point of studying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When his roommates left their dorm each morning, Ma would wander Beijing, sitting in parks and looking at stray cats. Earlier this year, he escaped to Dali, a magnet for drifters in China\u2019s Yunnan province known for its scenic mountains and slow pace of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His parents thought he was still in grad school. He didn\u2019t want to worry them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBefore, everyone expected life would keep getting better, your income would keep growing. Now, it\u2019s different,\u201d said Ma. \u201cWhen you look at the future, there isn\u2019t much hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A generation born during China\u2019s boom years is now entering adulthood with dwindling opportunities,<\/strong> fiercer competition and a growing sense of despondency that years of hard work have left them no better off than their parents\u2014and, for some, back living with them. Steady jobs are hard to get<\/a>, pushing millions into the precarious gig economy, while others buckle under a cutthroat work culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A weakened economy<\/a> has shrunk the job market, just as record numbers of college graduates are looking to start their careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read it all<\/a>.<\/p> China\u2019s Weakening Economy Is Creating a Lost Generation\u2014Young people were taught hard work guaranteed a bright future. They feel burned out and betrayed as good jobs become harder to get.\n@hannahmiao_ @GillSabrie \nhttps:\/\/t.co\/Jdyyo9hqou\nhttps:\/\/t.co\/Jdyyo9hqou<\/p>— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) October 13, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n