China’s netizens rage against professor who said gig work was a type of ‘welfare’

Widespread public anger has erupted in China after a prominent economics professor described gig work as a form of "welfare." The term "flexible employment" went viral as netizens reacted furiously to the remarks made by Zhang Dandan, deputy dean at Peking University’s National School of Development.

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flexibility itself is a form of welfare.

During a discussion on social protection for gig workers, Zhang argued that "flexibility itself is a form of welfare." She explained that while regular employees trade schedule flexibility for benefits like pensions, flexible workers gain more control over their time at the expense of weaker social protections. This perspective, however, triggered a fierce backlash, with social media users accusing Zhang of being out of touch with the harsh realities faced by gig workers.

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She has paid the price for her reputation for speaking this way, and the responsibility lies with her.

The controversy underscores deep anxieties over job insecurity in China's cooling economy, where finding stable, full-time employment has become increasingly difficult. The China New Employment Forms Research Centre estimates that the number of flexible workers will climb to 320 million by 2026, representing about 44 percent of the urban workforce. Experts warn that the rise of gig jobs, where employers are not mandated to contribute to social insurance, could strain China's welfare and pension systems.

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Such comments from experts are no less than rubbing salt into the wounds of those without job security.

Nationalist commentator Hu Xijin called Zhang's remarks "shocking" and "unacceptable," urging her to apologize. Despite the criticism, some noted Zhang's academic history of documenting gig worker struggles. Nevertheless, her framing of "flexibility" as a benefit was widely perceived as insensitive. Many users pointed to the relentless pressure delivery drivers and couriers face, describing their work not as a choice but as an unavoidable necessity driven by platform algorithms.

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Every day, they are racing against the platform’s algorithm at all costs, without rest... (flexible work) is precisely the most unavoidable of choices, not a preference.