We recently solicited stories from listeners about "feeling anxious about class solidification" and received many letters. This episode is the first, with guests Mr. Zhao, 38, and Mr. Liu, who is almost 50. They, who did not attend university, experienced a little of the economic boom at different stages when they were young. However, after the epidemic, the overall social economy has been in a slump, the real estate industry has been in turmoil, the labor market has been sluggish, and especially the jobs for older workers have decreased, and they have all begun to feel a sense of stagnation or even regression.
Mr. Zhao is from a rural area in Shanxi. He used to be an underground miner. Later, he drifted north and worked as an extra, real estate agent, and loan business in Beijing. He used to have a considerable monthly income, but in the past two years, his income has been almost zero due to the decline of the industry. Mr. Liu used to work in engineering construction in a large state-owned enterprise in Northeast China. He personally experienced the wave of layoffs in the 1990s, and later worked all over the country. At nearly 50 years old, he faces a life of being owed wages, difficulty finding work, and no place to retire.
In this episode, we will hear the stories of ordinary workers and their different feelings about "social mobility" and "class solidification."
Text version: https://bit.ly/bmb-156-text
Timeline:
01:34 Mr. Zhao is from a rural area in Shanxi, and his father is a coal miner in a black coal mine.
02:32 The first job at the age of 18, a gas worker in a coal mine, with a harsh underground environment
06:24 Resigned and drifted north, going to Beijing with a performance dream
07:21 Studied acting at the Central Academy of Drama and worked as an extra
09:08 Switched to being a real estate agent, "feeling very decent to make money"
11:18 Switched to being a loan agent, earning 100,000 yuan a month at its peak
12:28 After 2024, business decreased and income plummeted
14:19 Considered delivering food and returning to work in coal mines
15:41 "Unable to rise, and difficult to sink"
18:35 If there are children, I hope they have a good environment and a good personality.
21:10 Thinking about whether to leave Beijing
22:24 Mr. Liu: Writing from a hot rental house
23:32 When he was young, he was an employee of a state-owned enterprise. He originally hoped to live a stable life in the state-owned enterprise until retirement.
24:42 Laid off from state-owned enterprises, went out to work
26:17 During the epidemic, the project was suspended and he lay flat at home for a year.
28:03 Comparing the "layoff wave" with the present: I was confident in finding a job back then, but now I am more pessimistic.
29:27 Employment deteriorated after the epidemic, "feeling of powerlessness"
31:32 Expectations for children: "In short, if you want to be a beast of burden, it is better to be a beast of burden abroad."
39:21 Owed five months of wages, no savings, and no place to retire
Related links:
EP-115 How is China's college employment data falsified?
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Original title:
在阶层固化中挣扎的人们（上）
Original description:
<p> 最近我们向听众征集“对阶级固化感到焦虑”的故事，收到了许多来信。本期节目是第一期，嘉宾分别是38岁的赵先生和即将50岁的刘先生。没有上过大学的他们，年轻时曾在不同阶段感受过一点点经…
